Munirabad ( Koppal ): Farmers from Tungabhadra dam ’s CADA have been staging an indefinite dharna outside the chief engineer’s office in Munirabad since Sept 27, alleging irrigation water is being diverted to factories through large pumps while tail-end fields remain dry.
Farmers from Karatagi, Sindhanur, Manvi and Raichur said water had not reached their fields even 50 days after canal releases began on Aug 11. Farmer leaders circulated videos of pipes allegedly installed illegally on the left side of the Left Bank Canal.
Irrigation department superintending engineer Srinivas Malligawad said the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam managing director had authorised the supply from Sept 1. He said 30 cusecs were being released daily to Jindal factory and 19.5 cusecs to other factories. Because of low reservoir storage, water would be released only for drinking and farms from Aug 11 to Nov 11, at the irrigation consultative committee meeting in Munirabad in Aug, it was decided that,.
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Leaders said committee chairman and district minister Shivaraj Tangadagi had ruled out supply to factories. Raitha Sangha state president Ambarish Chagabavi said this violated the decision and Bachawat Award, under which drinking and agriculture should receive priority over factories. Tangadagi said he was unaware of the supply and would speak to officials. CADA chairman Hasansab Dotihal said he would complain to the chief minister. They said the round-the-clock dharna would continue until the supply was stopped and the concerned officials were suspended.
MLC Hemalatha Naik, who visited the protest site, questioned how the district minister, CADA chairman and Tungabhadra Board could be unaware and alleged the govt was prioritising real estate and factories over farmers. Protesters demanded seizure of the allegedly illegal pumpsets, criminal cases against factory owners and action against the irrigation department and TB dam officials who allegedly assisted them. Download the TOI App.