Union Budget 2023: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hailed the Centre's decision to provide Rs 5,300 crore assistance for the Upper Bhadra project in the state. Hailing the union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Karnataka chief said that her decision to provide such a hefty amount to the state will assist farmers in irrigation and will provide drinking water to vast areas of drought-affected central districts.
“In the drought-prone central regions of Karnataka, a central assistance of Rs 5,300 crore will be given for the Upper Bhadra Project," said Sitharaman in her budget speech, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka.
“Rs 5,300 crore has been announced for the Upper Bhadra Project, which is a major irrigation project from Karnataka and has the status of a national project. I welcome this, as the project is important, aimed at providing irrigation and drinking water to vast areas of drought-affected central districts of the state,” Bommai said.
What is Upper Bhadra Project"
It is worth mentioning Upper Bhadra Project is a major lift irrigation Scheme under implementation in the central region of Karnataka. It envisages lifting upto 17.40 TMC of water in the first stage from Tunga to Bhadra and lifting 29.90 TMC of water in the second stage from Bhadra to Tunnel near Ajjampura, in Tungabhadra sub-basin of Krishna basin.
It is planned to irrigate an extent of 2,25,515 hectares by micro irrigation in drought-prone districts of Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davangere.
Objectives of the project
The primary objective of the project is to provide a sustainable irrigation facility in the kharif season and the other objective of the project is to recharge the groundwater table and provide drinking water by filling 367 tanks to their 50 per cent capacity in drought-prone taluks of the above-said districts.
Notably, the announcement is a crucial step by the Bhartiya Janata Party-led government as the state is set to hold its Assembly elections this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
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