<p>Kalaburagi: The release of Krishna river water to neighbouring state of Telangana has caused outrage among the farmers. They say that the water has been released to Telangana without consulting the elected representatives of the twin districts of Vijayapura and Bagalkot. </p><p>The government had sought the opinions of the officials of Narayanapur and Almatti reservoirs regarding the release of water. The officials of both the dams had written a letter stating that there was no need to release water to Telangana in the current situation, citing the low water level and its requirement during the summer. But, the interests of the farmers and people of the state were ignored by rejecting the opinion of the officials, they said.</p><p>The Almatti reservoir has a storage of 35.56 tmc feet of water. Out of this, only 17.943 tmc feet of water is usable. Water needs to be released into the canal for irrigation, industries, thermal power plants and other purposes. </p><p>Meanwhile, BJP leader Raju Gowda has criticised the government, accusing it of betraying farmers by releasing water to Telangana without any official order. He charged that unauthorised release of Krishna River water from the Narayanapura reservoir without the approval of the Irrigation Advisory Committee has deprived the farmers their share of water.</p><p>The farmers on the banks of the Krishna have alleged that about 7 tmc feet of water has flowed into Telangana. However, the government maintained that only 1.27 tmc feet of water has been released.</p><p>Protest</p><p>Meanwhile, Akhand Karnataka Raitha Sangha leaders staged a protest in Almatti on Thursday urging the government to provide accurate information with regard to the quantum of water released from Narayanapura reservoir to the neighbouring state of Telangana. They also demanded to furnish the details about water released from the reservoir for irrigation purposes in the state. </p><p>The farmers took out a procession from Ramalingeshwara temple here to the chief engineer’s office. They submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Engineer I L Kalasa, Superintending Engineers V S Hiregouda and Govinda Rathod.</p><p>Sangha’s state general secretary Arvind Kulkarni said that a distribution canal should be constructed from the Sankanal branch canal and water has to be supplied to the villages of Kannal, Salavadagi, Jayawadagi, Byakoda, Kanakala and Narasalagi. The people and cattle of all these villages have to wander for three to four km to fetch drinking water. Water should be released to Basavan Bagewadi branch canal and Kudari Salwadagi main canal for at least 10 days. Water has to be released to the tail-enders apart from taking measures to fill the lakes, he explained. </p><p>Farmer leaders Umesh Walikar, Vitthal Biradar, Gurulingappa Padasalagi, Sahebagowda Hosur, Sanganagouda Hiregouda, Sureshagouda Bandi, Shivanna Alur, Somaraya Badigera, Ayyanagouda Patil, Pawankumar Shikalwadi, Shivanna Basappa Alur, Shankreppa Natikar, Parashuram Chalwadi, Basappa Madara, Yallappa Hadimani and Srishail Nagareddy were present.</p>
<p>Kalaburagi: The release of Krishna river water to neighbouring state of Telangana has caused outrage among the farmers. They say that the water has been released to Telangana without consulting the elected representatives of the twin districts of Vijayapura and Bagalkot. </p><p>The government had sought the opinions of the officials of Narayanapur and Almatti reservoirs regarding the release of water. The officials of both the dams had written a letter stating that there was no need to release water to Telangana in the current situation, citing the low water level and its requirement during the summer. But, the interests of the farmers and people of the state were ignored by rejecting the opinion of the officials, they said.</p><p>The Almatti reservoir has a storage of 35.56 tmc feet of water. Out of this, only 17.943 tmc feet of water is usable. Water needs to be released into the canal for irrigation, industries, thermal power plants and other purposes. </p><p>Meanwhile, BJP leader Raju Gowda has criticised the government, accusing it of betraying farmers by releasing water to Telangana without any official order. He charged that unauthorised release of Krishna River water from the Narayanapura reservoir without the approval of the Irrigation Advisory Committee has deprived the farmers their share of water.</p><p>The farmers on the banks of the Krishna have alleged that about 7 tmc feet of water has flowed into Telangana. However, the government maintained that only 1.27 tmc feet of water has been released.</p><p>Protest</p><p>Meanwhile, Akhand Karnataka Raitha Sangha leaders staged a protest in Almatti on Thursday urging the government to provide accurate information with regard to the quantum of water released from Narayanapura reservoir to the neighbouring state of Telangana. They also demanded to furnish the details about water released from the reservoir for irrigation purposes in the state. </p><p>The farmers took out a procession from Ramalingeshwara temple here to the chief engineer’s office. They submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Engineer I L Kalasa, Superintending Engineers V S Hiregouda and Govinda Rathod.</p><p>Sangha’s state general secretary Arvind Kulkarni said that a distribution canal should be constructed from the Sankanal branch canal and water has to be supplied to the villages of Kannal, Salavadagi, Jayawadagi, Byakoda, Kanakala and Narasalagi. The people and cattle of all these villages have to wander for three to four km to fetch drinking water. Water should be released to Basavan Bagewadi branch canal and Kudari Salwadagi main canal for at least 10 days. Water has to be released to the tail-enders apart from taking measures to fill the lakes, he explained. </p><p>Farmer leaders Umesh Walikar, Vitthal Biradar, Gurulingappa Padasalagi, Sahebagowda Hosur, Sanganagouda Hiregouda, Sureshagouda Bandi, Shivanna Alur, Somaraya Badigera, Ayyanagouda Patil, Pawankumar Shikalwadi, Shivanna Basappa Alur, Shankreppa Natikar, Parashuram Chalwadi, Basappa Madara, Yallappa Hadimani and Srishail Nagareddy were present.</p>
