Rs 146 Crore Tuppari Halla Project To Irrigate 4,500 acres

Dharwad

 The long-pending Rs 146 crore Tuppari Halla irrigation project, inspired by a similar Madhya Pradesh model, is expected to get approval to harness 1.2 TMC of water for agricultural use in Dharwad and Navalgund taluks.
The project became a political issue during the 2023 assembly elections. MLA Vinay Kulkarni has now said government has already approved the project, and a tender will be floated soon.
Farmers of Pudakalakatti, Yadwad, Uppin Betgeri, Harobelavadi, Kalle Kabbur, and Hanamanal, who are disgusted by the hard water of their borewells, are now eagerly waiting to get soft water for their crops.
Venkangouda Monipatil, Assistant Executive Engineer, Morab division, Major Irrigation Department, told  that the project aims to irrigate 4,500 acres.  The water, which was flowing, will be stored at Pudakalakatti village, where a 700-800mtrs barrage will be constructed, and water will flow based on gravitational force till Harobelavadi for about 12km. Water will be stored on 150 acres in Pudakalakatti. Chikka Halla, a substream of Tuppari Halla, originates at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and it has catchment areas at Yadwad and joins Tuppari Halla at Uppin Betgeri. Water from these streams will be taken by pipeline to about 100 clusters of agricultural lands. Each cluster involves 10-20 hectares, and farmers can avail themselves of water at these clusters by possible methods like drip irrigation or sprinklers. Retaining walls are already constructed at some places, and five major bridges are coming up to Hebbal, he explained.
It is said that this is the first major irrigation project in Dharwad taluk.