Key Points

Speaking to reporters after offering Ganga Pooja and Bagina to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Reservoir at Almatti, organised by the Water Resources Department and the Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam Limited, CM Siddaramaiah said: “Earlier in Belagavi, a meeting was held with farmers’ leaders regarding the Krishna Upper Bank Project. They had given their consent, following which the government also agreed."

"Recently, the Deputy Chief Minister held a meeting with local farmers and MLAs and discussions have moved to the stage of issuing an order of consent. An agreement will be finalised with the consensus of all stakeholders, and this matter will be resolved within the coming week,” he said.

In Phase III of the Krishna Upper Bank Project, the dam height will be raised from 519.6 meters to 524.25 meters, making it possible to store 130 TMC of water and utilise it effectively.

About 173 TMC of water can be supplied to irrigate 6.6 lakh hectares of land. Though the decision on Phase III has been taken, the Gazette notification is yet to be issued. Once it is done, irrigation and dam height works will commence, he stated.

“These issues have been discussed thrice with Union ministers and the Prime Minister. The Dy CM has met them five times. Irrigation is our priority. Farmers must benefit, their lands must get water, agricultural production must rise, and their lives must improve. This is our objective, and we are working towards it,” the Chief Minister said.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar added that although the Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam has offices in both Vijayapura and Bengaluru, its core objective is to actively work for farmers’ welfare.

“We want to stop the Krishna waters from being wasted into the sea and instead use it for farming activities. Both the Chief Minister and I share this vision, and we are working in that direction,” he stated.

Replying to reporters on whether a medical college would be established in Vijayapura, the Chief Minister said the government aims to set up a medical college and hospital in every district of Karnataka.

“This goal will be achieved in phases. In the 2025–26 budget, a decision will be taken to set up medical colleges in Bagalkot, Mangaluru, Kolar, and then in Vijayapura. As per the Centre’s guidelines, these colleges will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, while ensuring that treatment is available at government rates,” he clarified.

Responding to a question on damage caused to farmers by floods in Malaprabha River in Bagalkot district and Doni river in Vijayapura district, Siddaramaiah said, “The government is committed to taking permanent measures to ensure that farmers are not troubled.”

- IANS