Daijiworld News Network – Mangalore (AF)

Mangalore, Aug 24: Irrigation and drinking water problems in the Dakshina Kannada districts may soon see a solution with the proposed Soubhagya Sanjeevni, a mega project to inter-link the rivers of the two districts.

At a meeting held at NITK, Suratkal on Wednesday August 23 to discuss the feasibility of the project. The project was proposed by former MLC and agriculturist A G Kodagi. Minister for irrigation Eeshwarappa, who led the meeting, said that all fourteen rivers in the two districts would be linked through canals built 80 metres above the sea level and stretching for 300 kilometres.

He assured that that the project will not cause any harm to the Western Ghats and will not change the course of the rivers. The soil excavated during the construction of the canals will be used to lay the road on the western banks, he added.

The project is estimated at a cost of Rs 5000 crore but once completed, a profit of Rs 1000 crore is expected to be earned.

Among those present were district in-charge minister B Nagaraj Shetty, deputy commissioner M Maheshwar Rao, Dakshina Kannada ZP president Mamata D S Gatti, Udupi ZP president Shankar Poojari, MLAs Yogish Bhat, K Padmanabha Kottari and Shakuntala T Shetty.