Plenty of water has flowed down the river since theKrishnaWater Disputes Tribunal-2 (KWDT-2) delivered its final award, and yet the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) is still stuck in limbo.
Implementing the award, removing silt from the Almatti and Narayanapur reservoirs and improving crumbling Irrigation are major challenges inKarnatakas bid to ensure UKP, one of the biggest irrigation projects in the country, is a success.
UKP consists of three phases, two of which have been implemented. The third stage making use of 177tmcft of water allocated by KWDT-2 is meandering through the judicial system. Some also say there is lack of government will.
The State Government intends to use 130tmcft to irrigate 5.3lakh hectares in Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Bagalkot, Raichur and Gadag districts under UKP Stage 3. However, plans are stuck as the Tribunals final award has not been notified in the central gazette. Without this mandatory process, the state cannot use the water.
Some farmers believe the state is not all that keen since it would require gigantic sums some Rs 70,000 crore to implement UKP Stage-3. To harness the additional Krishna water, the state will have to increase storage levels in Almatti Dam to 524 metres. But this will affect 22 villages and parts of Bagalkot town. Over 1.3 lakh acres of agricultural land will be submerged under water and a huge chunk of funds will go towards compensating and rehabilitating residents.