Upper Tunga Project set to be speeded up

The Karnataka government is contemplating bringing the Upper Tunga Project (UTP) under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) launched by the Union government. Karnataka water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai told Business Standard on Monday that the inclusion of UTP under AIBP will facilitate early implementation of the scheme.

Bommai said, he would meet Union water resource minister shortly and discuss the matter. Ghataprabha and Malaprabha Projects have already been included in AIBP. He said, the government aims at completing the project by 2012. The first phase of work on the Upper Tunga Project has been completed and water released on trial basis. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will formally inaugurate the Gajanur reservoir soon after the assembly session.

The works under UTP on canals and sub-canals have been completed upto 156-km mark and once water is released in the first phase it would enable 50,000 acres come under irrigation. Bommai said, silt had accumulated in some canals where work had been completed long ago and the officials had been directed to de-silt the canals under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme. The water resources department has plans to take up works worth Rs 1,000 crore under the NREGP. Already, work worth Rs 150 crore has been carried out, he informed.