Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 7 (ANI): Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said 2.75 TMC water will be released from Alamatti and Narayanpura reservoirs to save the chilli cultivation in the Upper Krishna basin. Addressing a press conference here, he said, “The water will be released immediately. It will flow 75 km and reach the chilly plantations in two or three days.”
“Last night, a meeting was held with the district in-charges and ministers of Kalaburgi, Raichur, Bagalkote, Yadgiri, and MLAs of all parties and farmer leaders. In this meeting, they explained the situation and demanded that water be released on priority,” the deputy CM added.
The state is currently facing its worst drought, according to sources. Most of the taluks have been declared drought-hit. Despite the government’s request not to cultivate crops in the face of such a severe drought, some farmers planted chillies instead of paddy, officials said, adding that if the plantation is destroyed, the estimated loss will be to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore.
“To protect our farmers, last night, we decided to release 2.75 TMC of water for one last time. The protesting farmers and legislators should now ensure that the water is used only to save the chilli plantations. We have released the water hoping that the farmers will utilise it responsibly,” he said.
“Earlier, we had similarly rescued the distressed Mandya farmers. We also addressed the issue concerning the release of the Bhadra water…we resolved that problem too. Now the concerns of the chilli growers in the Upper Krishna basin are also being addressed on priority. No water will be released for agricultural purposes after this. When the state is facing such a severe drought, people as well as the people’s representatives should cooperate with the government.” the deputy CM added.
On how much water is being stored, Shivakumar said, “Alamatti and Narayanpur dams together have 47 TMC water available. 37 TMC water is needed for drinking water and 3 TMC water for other purposes. We have decided to release 2.75 TMC water, considering the demand from this region. We have to manage the water for another six months. So this time, we are going to supply to farmlands for one last time.”
On how he would ensure the judicious use of water in the face of the drought, the deputy CM said he would give this responsibility to the people’s representatives and farmers’ organisations.
“The police cannot be used to monitor the use of water. So, I will give this responsibility to the people’s representatives and farmers’ organisations. You have to be the police and ensure that water is used judiciously. We have also instructed our officials to ensure that not a drop goes to waste. However, the officials cannot fight the farmers. If that were to happen, the media would make an issue out of it. I believe the media should cater to its responsibility of raising awareness among farmers on the use of water,” the deputy CM said.
On the river-linking proposal, which is tipped to help farmers overcome drought-like situations, the Congress leader said, “This is a central government project. It is a big project. A team of 31 parliamentarians from the Centre will be here to inspect Cauvery today and tomorrow. Our irrigation problem will also be discussed.”
On the budgetary allocation for Krishna, he said, “We will discuss the budget issue with the chief minister and give our proposal.” Also reacting to former CM Basavaraj Bommai’s statement that the rice being supplied to targeted beneficiaries of the ‘Annabhagya’ scheme was being allocated by the Centre, the deputy CM said, “The Food Security Act was brought by (former PM) Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. Bommai seems to be unaware of this. We had promised to give 10 kg of rice (to beneficiaries under Annabhagya). My friend’s memory must be failing him.” (ANI)
