The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Farmers optimistic about Varuna Canal completion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Farmers optimistic about Varuna Canal completion

By Our Staff Correspondent

The completion of the Varuna Canal Project will help irrigate at least 32,375 hectares of land in Mysore and surrounding areas.

MYSORE, JUNE 8. Farmers are optimistic that if the State Government survives for more than two years, the Varuna Canal project may finally be completed.

The project was drawn up in the 1970s and is expected to irrigate 32,375 hectares of land in Srirangapatna taluk (Mandya district) and Nanjangud, T. Narsipura, and H.D. Kote taluks in Mysore district.

Also known as the D. Devaraja Urs Canal, the project envisaged the construction of a 159-km-long canal from the existing sluice near the Krishnaraja Sagar dam to help irrigate the dry-land belt of the region.

The project was described as a lifeline for farmers in Mysore, T. Narsipura, and Nanjangud taluks where there are no canal irrigation systems.

But after nearly four decades, the project is yet to be completed and the cost has escalated from Rs. 18 crore when it was launched in the 1970s to nearly Rs. 390 crore.

The Varuna Canal project was suggested as a right bank high-level canal by M. Visvesvaraya in the Cauvery Reservoir Project Report in 1911, but was not launched until the 1970s. The project witnessed maximum development when Mr. Siddaramaiah was the Finance Minister in the J.H. Patel Government.

He released more than Rs. 240 crore towards the project during the five years he was in office.

However, when the Congress assumed power, the project saw little progress.

Officials say that 90 per cent of the work on the main canal was complete and that water could be released up to the 150 km point.

However, farmers may have to wait for some more time as work on the distributary channels have not yet started. According to officials, the channels are likely to be ready only by March 2005.

It is estimated that an additional Rs. 60 crore would be necessary to complete the project. Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd., which was established in June 2003, has revived hopes that the lack of funds will not derail the prestigious project.

There were apprehensions that work would be affected because of the objections raised by the Tamil Nadu Government as well. But the State Government has clarified that work on the project will continue.

With Mr. Siddaramaiah as the Deputy Chief Minister, farmers in the region are hoping that the project will be completed at the earliest. The Varuna Canal will help revive wetlands in the command area.

The project is also expected to make agriculture more remunerative for farmers as it would increase the cultivation of commercial crops.

At present agriculture in the region is restricted to drought-resistant crops such as ragi and horse gram.

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