Vanivilas water to be routed to Chitradurga, to fill tanks

Months after releasing water from upper canals of Bhadra into Vanivilas Sagar dam in Chitradurga district, the state government is now set to rejuvenate tanks in that region.

According to Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, after ensuring an annual flow of 5.25 tmc feet to the dam, an excess of 5 tmc feet water was still available. This will be made available to the people in the region, by filling up as many as 12 tanks, he said. For this purpose, about 0.868 tmc feet of water will be used.

Also, the state government had taken up the Upper Bhadra project on a priority basis and aimed to complete the lift irrigation work at Tarikere this year, making way for filling up 79 lakes, Jarkiholi said.

In April, the government had begun allowing water into Vedavathi river basin, providing water to Hiriyur, Challekere and Molakalmooru, according to the minister. With this, six barrages have been filled in Hiriyur taluk, five in Challakere, apart from fulfilling the drinking water requirement in Molakalmuru.