The Bhadra Upper Project’s trial water flow has reached Gonur Lake in Chitradurga after travelling 164 km, with water being directed to around 100 tanks along the route, Karnataka district in-charge minister T. Raghumurthy said. The development has brought renewed attention to the unfinished irrigation network serving drought-prone areas of Chitradurga, Davanagere, Tumakuru and Chikkamagaluru districts.
Raghumurthy made the statement while inspecting preparations for a felicitation programme scheduled in Chitradurga on September 24. Farmers and residents from the four districts are expected to honour Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for enabling the trial release under the project. According to the minister, the programme is being organised as a non-partisan event by farmers’ groups, irrigation campaigners, civil society organisations and political workers.
The trial flow was launched near the Bhadra reservoir on September 6 after 3 thousand million cubic feet of water was allocated for the exercise. Raghumurthy said the water had overcome several challenges before reaching Gonur Lake. He added that filling tanks was being prioritised during the trial, although only a limited quantity had reached some locations so far.
The Bhadra Upper Project is not yet complete. The minister said work on the Tumakuru branch canal is still pending, while a drip irrigation system is also required to deliver water directly to farmers’ fields. He said financial support from the Union government would be necessary for this work. The minister also stated that the current legislative council election code of conduct meant that the chief minister would not announce fresh grants during the visit.
A key unfinished component is the Gonur aqueduct. Once completed, the structure is expected to help carry water towards Jagalur in Davanagere district, Pavagada in Tumakuru district, and Challakere and Molakalmuru taluks in Chitradurga district. Raghumurthy said pipeline work had progressed and that water could move further once the aqueduct was completed.
The minister said tank-filling work was under way in the Aimangala area of Hiriyur taluk, while several tanks in Holalkere and Hosadurga areas had already received water. He said further releases would be made in response to farmers’ demands, subject to the availability and movement of water through the system.
The project has been the subject of irrigation campaigns for about five decades, according to Raghumurthy. Irrigation implementation committee working president B.A. Lingarеddy said remaining works should be completed quickly and urged governments to release the required funds.
Organisers have installed 80,000 chairs and expect around one lakh people from Chitradurga and neighbouring districts to attend the felicitation event. Bus services have reportedly been arranged from all taluks, while police have made security arrangements for the gathering. The next major implementation milestone remains completion of the Gonur aqueduct and the pending Tumakuru branch canal works.
