The Karnataka Niravari Vedike and the Narayanpur Right Bank Canal (NRBC) 5-A Canal Horata Samiti have demanded that the State government allocate funds in the forthcoming budget for constructing a new 5-A sub-distributary of NRBC.
Vedike’s president A.C. Lingaraj Chukanatti said here on Sunday that the new canal would irrigate 1, 36,660 acres of land utilising water under Krishna B Scheme.
“Karnataka is not completely utilising its share of 907 tmcft water from Krishna River owing to lack of irrigation projects. The political leadership, irrespective of parties, has been neglecting the issue for the last several decades. The construction of 5-A distributary of NRBC will help utilise its share,” he said.
According to him, the 5-A distributary, if implemented, will irrigate 17,297 acres in Lingasugur taluk, 14,826 acres in Sindhanur taluk, 37,065 acres in Manvi, 2,471 acres in Deodurg and 45,000 acres in Raichur taluk. All the major agricultural tanks in the command area could also be filled for tackling severe drinking water crisis that strikes rural and urban areas in the district in summer, he added.