From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 7: Reciprocating Maharashtra’s gesture of releasing 2 tmcft of water from the Koyna dam to Krishna River to meet the drinking water requirements of the people of Belagavi and Bagalakote districts recently, Karnataka has decided to release 1 tmcft of water from Narayanpur Dam to partly solve the drinking water shortage in Solapur and Akkalkot towns and villages in the neighbouring State.
The release of water from Karnataka’s Narayanapur dam will also help in meeting the water shortage in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts.
Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister M B Patil has announced here on Saturday that the water would be released from Narayanpur Dam to Indi Branch Canal through the escape gates.
The water would reach its destination in Maharashtra besides reaching Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts, he said.
While 750 cusecs would be released from the escape gates of Indi Branch Canal to Ouj-Chinchapur, Khanapur and Hilli Barrages in Maharashtra, another 850 cusecs would be released through the escapes gates of Indi Branch Canal to eight barrages including Bhunyar, Sonna, Hattarki, Kollur, and Saradagi Barrage in Kalaburagi district, Sontha and Yadgir Barrages in Yadgir district.
The release of water to Kalaburagi and Yadgir comes at a time when the storage level in Saradagi barrage providing drinking water to Kalaburagi city has depleted.
The present storage of 50 mcftin the Saradagi barrage is enough to supply water to the city for the next 10 days.
Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board Executive Engineer Ashok Madyal has explained that barely 50 mcft of water could be realised out of the total 150 mcft of water released from Kallur Barrage to Saradagi Barrage.
He said that around 100 mcft was lost during its travel of 40 km from Kallur to Saradagi barrage.
Meanwhile, the State Government has released Rs 1.62 crore to tackle the drinking water shortage in Kalaburagi city and instructions have already been issued to provide the drinking water through tankers wherever necessary, on an emergency basis.