Karnataka > Irrigation in Karnataka
The ancient rulers of Karnataka undertook construction of a large number of tanks and paid maximum attention to irrigation. (See Chapter II on history). But in later period Vijaynagar rulers did put up a dam across the Cauvery in
1347 near Talakadu, impounded the waters of Kumudvati rivulet to create Masur Magada (which is over 400 acres in area), dug many canals from the Tungabhadra near the capital and tapped maximum quantity of water for irrigation from rivers. We hear of a hydraulic engineer (Jalasutradhari) in one of their records. The Mysore ruler Kanthirava Narasaraja Wodeyar's Bangaradoddi Canal (17th century) drawn from the Cauvery is famous. Chikkadevaraya raised Chunchanakatte dam, a brick work during the same century.
Excavating tanks or their repair was held as a meritorious duty. So wide and systematic was the tank network all over, that one of the Commissioners of Mysore, Bowring says the following of it : "As the country is generally undulating, and intersected by numerous valleys threaded by natural water courses, it occurred to the natives many centuries ago, to dam up the supply thus furnished, in order to irrigate their fields in the dry season, and in this way, as population increased additional land was brought under the plough, a chain of such tanks was formed, gradually increasing in size and capacity as the line was prolonged". He further adds. "In many instances, advantage has been taken of the gorges in hills to throw up colossal embankments, which have withstood with fair success, the floods of centuries". The arrangement was a chain of tanks, in a single catchment's area. Every reservoir in the chain received surplus water from the one at the upper level, and thus there was no wastage to point out. During the pre-independence era, the British and Mysore State Government took up some notable irrigation works such as Krishnarajasagar, Sagarakatte Dam, Dhudpal veir near Gokak, Vanivilas Sagar, Marconahalli and Anjanapur.
The Ultimate irrigational potential in the State at present has been estimated at 55 lakh ha. Which forms 51.4 per cent of net sown area? This would comprise of 35 lakh ha. under major and medium irrigation projects, 10 lakh ha. under minor irrigation using surface waters and remaining 10 lakh ha. from ground water sources.
As per the master plans prepared by the State, the ultimate utilisation in Krishna basin is likely to be 1,156 tmc. and the State's use in the Cauvery basin is likely to be 408.62 tmc. The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award has resulted in an allocation of 22.37 tmc for its project in the State. The State has presently formulated projects for utilising a total quantum of 103.31 tmc in Palar, Pennar (North and South) and west flowing rivers. As against the potential, the net area irrigated during 1997-98 was 23.63 lakh ha. Net area irrigated by canal was the highest with 38.24% of the total irrigated, followed by wells (19.05%), tanks (10.14%), tube wells (17.39%), other sources (10.51%) and lift irrigation (4.7%). About six lakh ha. of land was irrigated more than once bringing the gross area irrigated to 28 lakh ha. Net area irrigated for the country as a whole was 32% of net area sown in 1989-90. In Karnataka, the percentage of net area irrigated to net area sown which was 21.2 during 1991-92 has increased to 23.5 during 1997-98. The Percentage of net area irrigated to net area sown for the state of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are 48 and 38 respectively.
The cumulative potential created under minor irrigation from surface water upto 1997-98 was 9.38 lakh ha. All irrigation works having an atchkat of 2,000 ha. are classified as minor irrigation works. The Karnataka Tank Irrigation Project with the World Bank assistance is being implemented from 1981-82. An amount of Rs. 155 crores is spent upto November 1993 and 73 tank irrigation projects were completed creating a potential of 23,310 ha. Minor irrigation works are also taken up under Ganga Kalyana Scheme, Special Component Plan, Tribal Sub-plan etc., There were about 40,411 minor irrigation works benefiting an atchkat of 8.68 lakh ha. which comprises of 36,555 tanks with an atchkat of 6.59 lakh ha and 4.29 lift irrigation schemes with an atchkat of 88.367 ha and 3,427 other minor irrigation works with an atchkat of 1, 20,588 ha.
National Water Management Project in Karnataka aims at improvement of the existing canal system served by reservoirs for increasing the productivity and farm income. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 74 crores. The expenditure Incurred upto end of March 1993 was Rs. 47 crores. The Command Area Development programme is intended to tackle the problem of non-utilisation of irrigation potential created and to reduce the gap between potential created and potential utilised. During 1998-99, the area brought under field irrigation channels was 10,530 ha; the area brought under on-farm development works was 17,630 ha and about 8,230 ha was covered under warabandi system.
The total investment upto end of March 2000 on Irrigation in the State is Rs 14,267 crores comprising of Rs. 13,399 on major and medium irrigation and Rs. 868 crores on minor irrigation (using surface waters). This does not include the investment on irrigation prior to plan period i.e., prior to 1951. Upto the end of March 2000 a total irrigation potential of 36,22,921 ha (including 9,08,563 ha of potential from ground waters) is created, bringing the percentage of potential created to net sown area to 33.85%. This comprises of a) 4,53,054 ha under 8 major and 32 medium completed projects, b) 12,88,717 ha under 19 major and 21 medium ongoing projects bringing the total potential under major and medium projects to 17,41,771 ha, c) 9,39,566 ha under completed minor projects using surface waters, d) 33,021 ha under 13,743 small tanks having less than 4 ha ayacut (now with Zilla Parishat) and e) 9,08,563 ha under irrigation from ground water resources.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan assistance of Rs. 106.98 crores during 1995-96 for completing six medium irrigation projects viz Votehole, Lower Mullamari, Amarja, Chulkinala, Maskinala and Manchanabele under Rural infrastructure Development fund (RIDF-1) upto end of March 2000 Rs. 193.06 crores has been utilised. NABARD has sanctioned a loan assistance of Rs. 50 crores for one major irrigation project viz Bennithora during 1996-97 inder RIDF-II.
The State has constituted Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) under the Company's Act 1956 with a view to expedite 10 projects under Krishna basin by mobilising additional resources required for the project. The ten projects coming under this Nigam are Malaprabha, Ghataprabha III, Upper Tunga Project, Bhima Lift Irrigation Scheme, Harinala, Markandeya, Singatalur, Hippargi Barrage project, Gandharinala project and Tunga lift Irrigation Scheme. This Nigam has raised Rs 475.32 crores through private issues of bonds/debentures upto March 2000.
The National Hydrology project is taken up with the world bank assistance, since 1996-97. It envisages setting up of reliable and well designed net work in the state for collection of Hydrological and Meteorological data for surface as well as ground water both quality and quantity aspects. The implementation period of this project is six years. The expenditure incurred upto the end of March 2000 is Rs. 5.58 crores. Flood Control and Sea Erosion : Karnataka has a coastline of about 300 km. with narrow beaches. Due to high wave action of sea, the coastline is being eroded. Erosion along the beaches causes loss of valuable coconut plantations and property. Anti-erosion works have been taken up in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts since 1979-80. Sea walls were constructed with 200 Kgs armour stones in two layers of coconut leaf mat. Permanent measures have been evolved with nylon synthetic filter cloth mesh with flat slopes and 1,360 Kg stones are laid in two layers. It has been identified that about 73 km of sea coast are subjected to sea erosion. A Master Plan to protect these vulnerable reaches at a cost of Rs. 145 crores has been sent to Govt. of India for clearance. An expert committee has been formed to examine designs and suggest works to be taken up along identified reaches of the sea coast. The committee has suggested two designs with individual armour stones weighing 560 and 570 kgs which are now being adopted. A project report for priority reaches for Rs. 40 crores was cleared by the Beach Erosion Board.
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