Upper Bhadra Project: Trial Run Initiated to Release Water from Tarikere Intake Point

The long-pending Upper Bhadra Project reached a major milestone as officials initiated a trial run to release 3 TMC of water from the Bhadra reservoir into the Chitradurga branch canal. ST Welfare Minister and Chitradurga District In-charge Minister T. Raghumurthy launched the water release at the project's primary intake point and Shanthipura pump house, situated in Tarikere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. The ceremony was attended by local Tarikere MLA G. H. Srinivas along with legislators from neighboring regions including Hosadurga, Holalkere, Chitradurga, and Sira. During the event, Minister Raghumurthy conducted special prayers at the intake gates before operating the computer-based pumping system. The experimental release aims to test the hydraulic flow and canal integrity along the 142-kilometer route stretching through Tarikere and Ajjampura taluks before reaching lakes and parched farmlands across Chitradurga, Davanagere, and Tumakuru districts. Irrigation officials from Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited (VJNL) issued safety advisories strictly prohibiting public entry, livestock grazing, or unauthorized water pumping along the canal banks. For residents and farmers in Tarikere taluk, the activation of the intake facility highlights the region's central role as the hydrologic anchor for central Karnataka's lift irrigation network. While the trial primarily directs water to dry eastern belts, the broader Upper Bhadra scheme includes dedicated micro-irrigation components designed to irrigate over 20,000 hectares of farmland and fill 79 minor irrigation tanks within Tarikere taluk itself. Local agricultural communities expect the operationalization of these pump stations to bolster groundwater tables, stabilize drinking water supplies, and ensure long-term agricultural sustainability across the region.