Dharwad : Former public works department secretary and chief engineer GC Tallur has called for disciplined water management, efficient use of allocated river water and equitable distribution to address inter-state water-sharing challenges.
Karnataka has a geographical area of about 190 lakh hectares, including nearly 128 lakh hectares under cultivation. Farmer leader Shankar Ambli questioned the govt’s alleged reluctance to release 5 TMC of water for agriculture while supplying 15 TMC for cooling AI data centres. Because of the large number of small and marginal farmers, Tallur said, effective distribution remained a major challenge.
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Speaking at an interaction on sharing Mahadayi and Malaprabha river waters, Tallur said tribunals had determined allocations for riparian states, which were responsible for using their shares judiciously and managing resources efficiently. He said Karnataka ’s allocated share from Krishna, Cauvery and Godavari river basins could irrigate a substantial proportion of the state’s cultivable land. Ambli said technological expansion was increasing pressure on water resources.
Expansion of water-intensive crops such as sugarcane, banana and paddy had increased irrigation demand. With increasingly erratic monsoons, farmers should choose crops based on rainfall conditions and water availability, he added. He accused environmental activists of applying different standards to agricultural and industrial use, arguing that irrigation releases were often opposed while large-scale consumption by technology infrastructure was considered essential. He urged environmental groups opposing development projects to consider farmers’ livelihoods and agricultural water requirements. National Alliance of People’s Movements, SEPAK Karnataka, Eco Watch, Sarvodaya Samaj Gandhi Peace Foundation and Hubballi-Dharwad Nagarika Parisara Samiti jointly organised the interaction. Farmers’ representatives, water-resource experts and environmental activists from Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra participated. Download the TOI App.