Times Of India – Online

Despite heavy rains in the city and parts of Vidarbha, a number of dams in the region continue to have less water as compared to last year. The level, however, is quite enough to meet the needs, said sources. The Totladoh dam on Pench River which meets the water requirement of Nagpur city had 55.61% of water level as on Monday. It was 59% on the same day last year. The dam has a total capacity of over 1013 million cubic metres (MCM). The level is down because there were hardly any rains in Totladoh’s catchment area in June this year. However, at 55%, the situation is comfortable. It is expected that in July …

The Times of India – Online

A sum of Rs 140 crore was allocated for flood control and infrastructure development works in Kuttanad by including it in the second Kuttanad development package in the budget. Infrastructure development works at paddy fields in Ramankari, Edathua, Chambakkulam, Neelamperoor, and Kainakary panchayats will be implemented through rural infrastructure development fund scheme. The budget also proposed a new project to enhance the agri output of lower Kuttanad region by undertaking various activities such as deepening of canals, construction of outer bunds, protection walls, engine floor and engine sheds in various paddy fields. An amount of Rs 20 crore was earmarked for this scheme in 2022-23. A sum of Rs 54 crore was set …

Krishi Jagran – Online

Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka’s chief minister, has set aside Rs 1,000 crore for the Mekedatu project, which has been a source of friction between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Following the opposition Congress’s 165-kilometer padayatra from Mekdatu to Bengaluru, Bommai has been pressed to allocate a major portion of funding to irrigation projects to demonstrate his government’s commitment to farmers. The CM made the allocation knowing that the opposition would make it an issue ahead of the assembly elections next year, even though the project has yet to receive environmental clearance from the Centre. The allocation for agriculture and allied sectors has been enhanced by the chief minister to Rs 33,700 crore, an increase of Rs …

Indian Web2 – Online

EFFORT, a non-profit organisation committed to empower rural communities for sustainable development has successfully completed a water harvesting project in collaboration with IPM India Wholesale Trading across key water distressed regions of Andhra Pradesh. With an aim to improve water resource management, the project has focused on conserving rainwater by developing relevant infrastructure as well as educating local communities. Today, India is on the brink of a water crisis. The 2030 Water Resources Group estimates that if we continue to consume water as per the current rate, India will have only half the water it needs by 2030, a possible reality which is only ten years away.

The Indian Express – Online

Over 1,100 artificial farm ponds and check dams have been built along the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in Vidarbha and Marathwada region over the last three years keeping in mind the drought faced by farmers in these regions almost every year. As farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada region face water scarcity, government officials say that these new ponds and check dams will help store over 2,500 crore litres of water that can be used by them well after the monsoon. At the same time, the soil obtained by digging of ponds has been utilised for the elevation and construction of the expressway.

The New Indian Express – Online

Cauvery delta farmers who have cultivated Samba and Thalady paddy have urged the State government not to stop water release from Mettur dam on January 28, the stipulated date, and instead sought to continue the release to save the crops which were raised in a delayed manner owing to heavy rains. The water from Mettur reservoir is usually released on June 12 for irrigation of crops in the Cauvery delta districts and used to be closed on January 28. For the current irrigation year, the reservoir was opened on June 12 and there was record cultivation of Kuruvai paddy. Samba cultivation area also stood at 3.43 lakh acres in Thanjavur district alone, which …

The New Indian Express – Online

The Kottarai dam across the Marudaiyar river in Perambalur district was filled to the brim twice in the last three months due to rains — in the first week of November 2021, and on January 1 this year. However, farmers could not make use of it for irrigation as the construction of the dam and irrigation canals is incomplete. Farmers and locals have reiterated their demand to complete the work at the earliest. Work on the 211 million-cubic-feet capacity dam, estimated at a cost of Rs 149.4 crore, was started in 2016. About 464 acres of land in Kottarai village and 180 acres in Adhanur village was acquired for the project. The authorities …

Times of India – Online

A sudden increase in the water level of the Bhogavati river — due to the Radhanagari dam service gate malfunction on Wednesday — has allegedly damaged agricultural motors causing losses to the farmers. The Radhanagari Dharan Bachao Kruti Samiti has demanded a high-level inquiry against the irrigation department. The samiti stating that the gate malfunction is a serious issue and was caused due to the negligence of the private contractor employed to carry out technical repair works of the service gate, that too in absence of irrigation department officials. Sakharam Jadhav, a farmer from Gudalwadi village said, “There was a panic situation on Wednesday morning due to several rumours of dam burst and floods …

The New Indian Express – Online

The mismatch between the growing population and the need for adequate infrastructure to keep pace with the growth-related requirements has led to a slew of projects remaining pending or moving at a snail’s pace across Karnataka. Increasing population implies a growing need for infrastructure for the masses to support food, water, transport, connectivity, law & order, and their equitable distribution. But that has not happened in Karnataka. There are several major projects that have been pending for years, and the almost two-year-long pandemic may have only further delayed their implementation. Urban experts and government officials admit that though the pandemic is one of the reasons for the delay in completing projects, lack of …

The New Indian Express– Online

Farmers of Mundargi are worried that Shivamogga and the surrounding areas will receive more rainfall. If water is released from Bhadravathi dam to Hammigi barrage near Mundargi, the gates of the barrage will have to be opened, and a large quantity of water will gush out into the farmlands. Hammigi barrage opened seven gates as 43.366 cusecs of water flowed out on Sunday morning. Farmers are struggling to save their crops due to rain. If the river swells again, they will lose all their crops.  Bidaralli, Vithalapur, Singatalur, Gummagola, Shiranahalli, Irannanagudda, Gangapur, Kakkur, Korlahalli and other villages are at the river basins. The river is swelling and water has been gushing into hundreds of …