Vijayapura eyes Almatti dam water to fill local tanks and bunds

Water will be channelled through a 710 km canal; 2.5 tmcft of water has been allocated

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Vijayapura

WITH the objective of ensuring drinking water availability during the present summer, the process of filling 127 tanks and 13 bunds across Vijayapura using the Almatti Reservoir canal network has begun. The operation is expected to provide relief to both people and livestock across the region.

According to the source, the water, drawn from the Almatti Reservoir, is being channelled through a 710-kilometre (km) canal network under the Mulwad and Chimmalagi Lift Irrigation Projects. Approximately 2.5 tmcft of water has been allocated for this purpose, with 4.33 tmcft already reserved in the Almatti for drinking water.

Under the Chimmalagi Lift Irrigation Project, water was released from the Almatti Left Bank Canal to fill 27 tanks via a 287 km canal stretch. Simultaneously, around 100 tanks and 13 bunds are being filled under the Mulwad Lift Irrigation Project (MLI).

While the use of this water for agricultural purposes is strictly prohibited, the move has brought joy to the farming community as rising groundwater levels are expected to benefit the region indirectly.

Officials have noted that though only 1.672 tmcft of water is required to fill 75 per cent of the tanks capacities, approximately 2.5 tmcft is being used to compensate for water loss during transit.