The Irrigation Implementation Struggle Committee urged the Karnataka government not to withdraw its decision on Bhadranadi reservoir control.
Bhadranadi
The Irrigation Implementation Struggle Committee has strongly urged the Karnataka government not to retreat from its decision to bring the Bhadranadi reservoir under the jurisdiction of the Vishweshwarayya Jala Nigama Limited (VJNL), stating that the move is crucial for safeguarding the interests of farmers in Central Karnataka’s drought-prone regions.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club Chitradurga on Thursday, committee working president B. A. Lingareddy said the Bhadranadi reservoir currently comes under the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL), while the Upper Bhadra Project is being implemented by VJNL. This dual control, he warned, could lead to administrative conflicts in the future, particularly when water allocation for the Upper Bhadra Project becomes critical.
Lingareddy pointed out that disputes may arise between the managing directors of the two corporations, potentially affecting timely water release. To avoid such complications, he said, the Bhadranadi reservoir should be placed entirely under VJNL so that a single managing director oversees its operations, ensuring smoother coordination and equitable water distribution.
He said the committee had already submitted memoranda to D. K. Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, and to VJNL Managing Director Sanna Chittayya. The committee also demanded appropriate representation for Chitradurga in the Bhadranadi reservoir coordination committee. Acting on these representations, Shivakumar had initiated steps to transfer the reservoir from KNNL to VJNL.
However, Lingareddy alleged that K. S. Eshwarappa Renukacharya from Davanagere district opposed the move and made statements refusing to allow the transfer, thereby attempting to create discord between farmers of neighbouring districts. The committee strongly condemned such remarks, stating that they could incite unnecessary inter-district conflict.
Explaining the technical aspects, Lingareddy said that under the Upper Bhadra Project, 17.4 TMC of water is allocated from the Tunga Reservoir and 12.5 TMC from the Bhadranadi reservoir, totalling 29.9 TMC. Water is lifted from the Tunga reservoir to the Bhadranadi reservoir and later released into canals, making Bhadranadi a critical component of the project. Single-agency management, he said, would ensure that farmers from Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Jagalur, and Tumakuru districts receive water without disputes.