Asia's biggest micro-irrigation project in Ramthal

The Ramathal micro-irrigation project coming up in Hungund taluk of Bagalkot district in Karnataka will be the biggest micro irrigation project in Asia. The project when completed, will cover 24,000 hectares in Hungund taluk.

Chief engineer of Karnataka Bhagya Jal Nigam C Anantharamu said, the government had allotted Rs 798 crore tenders to two Israeli companies for implementing the plan.

The companies have been asked to execute the work and maintain the project for five years after its completion.

"Following the implementation of the scheme, the government will hold workshops for farmers to teach them drip-irrigation methods, Anantaramu said, and made it clear that such a large-scale micro-irrigation project was being implemented after intense and detailed study of pros and cons of the project.

"If traditional irrigation project had been used, then only 14,000 hectares would have been irrigated, but with the new methods, the same quantum of water could be used to irrigate 24,000 hectares," he asserted.