BIJAPUR: Farmers of Bijapur district have decided to launch a hunger strike at Horthi hobli in Indi taluk on Sunday demand that the long-pending Rs. 200-crore tank filling project be implemented at the earliest.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Annappa Kainur, Basavaraj Kumbar and Mahantesh

Biradar, office-bearers of the "Kere Neeru Toumbuva Yojane Horata Samiti", said that despite repeated assurances, the Government had not given administrative approval for the project that had been pending since February 2005.

They said the project prepared by the Department of Minor Irrigation had eight sub-schemes under which 107 minor irrigation tanks were to be filled with water from the Krishna and the Bhima.

Solution

They said if the money spent on drought relief work every year was taken into consideration, the project cost would not be a burden on the exchequer. The project would be a permanent solution to the drinking water scarcity in 200 villages. Nearly one-lakh acres of land could be brought under irrigation.

Migration

They said that the project would help prevent migration of farm labourers from the district. The project required 6 tmcft of water for which a provision had been made in the master plan to utilise the State's share of Krishna waters. Water could be pumped into the tanks during monsoon.

Before launching the hunger strike, a procession would be taken out in the hobli, they added.

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