MYSURU: Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy on Tuesday reassured the public that the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir is safe and secure.
He said CM Siddaramaiah has formed an expert committee to evaluate the condition of all the dams in the state after the crest gate at the Tungabhadra Dam was washed away on Sunday. “A committee has been formed to oversee the dams’ maintenance, and their report confirms its stability,” he said.
Addressing a meeting of the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) at Cauvery Hall at the Zilla Panchayat office here on Tuesday, he said the district’s 948 lakes are being filled, and adequate rainfall has ensured sufficient water supply for crops.
He instructed irrigation officials to address technical issues hindering water supply to certain areas and to prioritise filling of lakes, particularly in Malavalli and Maddur taluks.
“Officials must provide farmers with timely information and guidance on best practices in agriculture including proper seed sowing techniques, effective use of pesticides and fertilisers, adoption of suitable technologies and selection of appropriate crop varieties. There is a need for village-level officials to actively assist families of farmers who have died by suicide, ensuring they receive compensation without delay or hassle,” he said.
Malavalli MLA P M Narendraswamy expressed concern over unauthorised resorts coming up on the KRS reservoir area. He raised an alarm about effluents from factories polluting water drinking water sources. He slammed irrigation officials for their inefficient management of water distribution. “Though the KRS dam was full two weeks ago, water has not reached the end of the Visvesvaraya Canal and the lakes still remain unfilled. Only 750-850 cusecs of water is being released, when 1,000 cusecs is needed,” he said.
Later, Chaluvarayaswamy launched an informative poster outlining best practices and techniques for farmers to enhance paddy crop yields.