Lift irrigation project completed; arid Jagalur taluk set for transformation

Davanagere: In the past 100 years,

Jagalur

taluk in

Davanagere

district has been blighted by drought for more than 60 years, rendering agriculture an unviable occupation to the residents. Consequently, most members of the younger generation migrate to other villages or urban centres in search of livelihood – a large section of Jagalur’s populace was forced to leave following a particularly severe drought in 1975-76. However, efforts undertaken by local elected representatives to revive local bodies of

water

such as

tanks

and

lakes

have paid off, and Jagalur is on the cusp of an entirely new stage of its existence.

Former Jagalur MLA HP Rajesh, who played a key role in drafting a detailed project report (DPR) of the plan, said, “People would leave Jagalur for more than three to four months, and return home for the rainy season. To find a permanent solution to this problem, we came up with a plan to fill the 57 tanks in the taluk using water from the

Tungabhadra

River. This project was estimated to cost Rs 650 crore, of which the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government allocated Rs 250 crore, and BS Yediyurappa, when he assumed office, released the reminder of the funds.”

The project having been completed, water is flowing into the tanks and lakes of the taluk. The plan, Rajesh said, entailed the construction of a jack well on the banks of the Tungabhadra near Ditooru village in Harihar taluk, from where water was lifted to a

delivery chamber

constructed on the hills of Chetnalli. “From this higher vantage point in Chetnalli, water is released, and, powered by gravity, flows into all the 57 tanks. Pipes have been across a total length of 33km from Chetnalli to

Tuppadalli

Tank, which is the largest in Jagalur, spread across 1,250 acres,” the former MLA said.

Since all the tanks are connected to one another, excess water from the Tuppadalli flows into neighbouring bodies of water, filling each in turn. Rajesh said that the authorities, eager to see if the system was working, had released water from Chetnalli to see if it would flow into Tuppadalli Tank. “It was found that the water flowed into the tank. This will help recharge groundwater aquifers, and the cloud of drought that hangs over Jagalur will vanish soon,” said an elated Rajesh.

Incumbent Jagalur MLA SV Ramachandra expressed gratitude to Sri Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swami of Taralabalu Brihanmutt in Sirigere, who was unrelenting in his determination to persuade the government to start work on the project. “The Taralabalu Hunnime celebrations held in Jagalur in 2018 was the event when the government finally resolved to go ahead with the project,” he said.

Ramachandra said that CM Basavaraj Bommai would formally inaugurate the

lift irrigation

project during his visit to Jagalur on April 29.


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