B.S. Yediyurappa

BANGALORE: The State government, with adequate financial support from the Union Government, the World Bank and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), is all set to give a fresh impetus to the rejuvenation of minor irrigation tanks across the State.

Karnataka has been in the grip of increasing number of suicides by farmers over the past six years, and both the State and Union Governments have concurred that one way of preventing the suicides by farmers is to rejuvenate the tanks that provided irrigation to dry lands apart from helping in raising the water table. A study on the farmers suicides has revealed that the victims were owners of small and fragmented lands and had taken to suicide after the big investment that they had made in sinking borewells led them to indebtness when the borewells failed to yield water. The Centre is expected to come forward with a special scheme towards this programme, and Karnataka is expected to be among the beneficiaries.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who is also the Minor Irrigation Minister, and Adviser to the Government on Minor Irrigation S.M. Panchagatti told The Hindu here on Sunday that with the monsoon rains subsiding, the renovation, restoration and rejuvenation (RRR) scheme of minor irrigation tanks would commence from the first week of November.

It was for the first time in over a decade that the State Government has set aside a large among for minor irrigation works.

The Government has allocated Rs. 600 crore this year while it was Rs. 26 crore in 2002-03, Rs. 31 crore in 2003-04, Rs. 96 crore in 2004-2005 and Rs. 119 crore in the last financial year. The effort now is to ensure that the funds allocated are appropriately utilised.

A sum of Rs. 500 crore will be spent on the rejuvenation of tanks over the next few months.

The Deputy Chief Minister has chalked out an action plan and he will be visiting the districts to inspect the tank rejuvenation works.

In the past, removing silt from tanks was a major area of corruption since even as the works were completed rains set in and it was difficult to verify the quantum of silt removed from the tanks.

Mr. Yediyurappa said there was no dearth for funds. Of the Rs. 600 crore earmarked for minor irrigation works, the State would be reimbursed Rs. 180 crore by the World Bank and another Rs. 155 crore by NABARD as and when the works were completed.

He said the Coalition Government's stress now would be on minor irrigation works rather than major schemes since the former largely served the interests of small and marginal farmers. "It should be remembered that 70 per cent of the total cultivable area in the State is dependant on monsoon. With the water table depleting in most districts, it is imperative for the Government to take up watershed management in a big way. Hence the thrust for rejuvenating the minor irrigation tanks," Mr. Yediyurappa said.

The rejuvenation of tanks and lakes in the Cauvery basin, which had been kept in abeyance, has been restarted. There is, however, a ban on construction of new minor irrigation tanks, pending final verdict of the Cauvery Waters Disputes Tribunal.

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