The State Cabinet on Friday approved a revised comprehensive Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Upper Bhadra project which now provides for construction of canal to supply water for irrigation purposes to Tumakuru district.
The earlier DPR provided for supplying water from the Bhadra reservoir to Chikkamagaluru and Chitradurga districts.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said that as per the revised DPR, the project will provide irrigation facility to 2.25 lakh hectares and fill up 367 minor irrigation tanks in the districts of Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga and Tumakuru.
The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 12,340 crore.
“We propose to declare Upper Bhadra project a national project after consultation with the Centre and the Central Water Commission. The move will enable getting 90 per cent of grants for the project from the Centre,” the minister said.
The revised project, when complete, will lift water from the Tunga river to the Bhadra reservoir improving irrigation potential in Kadur (Chikkamagaluru district), Tarikere, Challakere, Hosadurga, Hiriyur (Chitradurga district) and Chikkanayakanahalli and Sira (Tumakuru district) through the drip irrigation mode.
With the addition of Tumakuru district, the government has added another 84,000 hectares to the existing 1.41 lakh hectares of irrigation land.
The water extraction from the Bhadra reservoir will also be increased from 23.97 TMC to 29.97 TMC.
The project proposes construction of two underground canals at Ajjampura in Chikkamagaluru for supply of water to Chitradurga and Tumakuru.
The project is likely to take at least three to four years for completion, with another 150 kilometers of canal to be laid out for extending the line from Chitradurga to Tumakuru for which about Rs 4,000 crore additional funds would be required.
The project is also scheduled to fill the lakes and tanks in Hollakere and Molakalmuru.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for a revised DPR for the Ballari Nala Irrigation project at an estimated cost of Rs 635 crore, Jayachandra said.
Eco-sensitive zones
Members of a Cabinet subcommittee will visit several districts to interact with the local population for demarcation of eco-sensitive zones around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Jayachandra said the State will have to submit its recommendation to the Ministry of Environment and Forests by January 31 failing which 10-km radius around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries will be notified as eco-sensitive zones.
The Cabinet gave its approval for evaluation of Eastern Karnataka Afforestation Project Phase -1 (Rs 742 crore project) and Karnataka Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project (Rs 841 crore) by the Indian Institute of Forest Management.
New gram panchayats
The minister said the Cabinet gave its nod for the recommendations made by the G Nanjayyanamath committee on delimitation of gram panchayats. As many as 439 new gram panchayats would be carved out and added to the existing 5,629 gram panchayats in the next two months. Elections to GPs are scheduled to be held in May this year.
Airports
The Cabinet decided to scrap the agreement between the State government and joint venture company Regional Airport-Holdings International (RAHI) for executing the Shivamogga and Kalaburagi airport projects. The contract has been scrapped as work on the projects had come to a standstill following differences between the partners of the joint venture company, Jayachandra said.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for purchase of modern weapons under the Modernisation of State Police Forces (MFP) scheme at a cost of Rs 6.95 crore. The purchases would be made through the State Trading Corporation of India.
DH News Service
