KALABURAGI: The demand for a lift irrigation project catering to the needs of farmers in the undivided taluk of Jewargi and Shahapur dates back to the 1990s.
The farmers began protesting for a lift irrigation project in Mallabad when JH Patel was chief minister. The agitation gained momentum in 2005-06 under JDS leader Kedara Lingaiah Hiremath when N Dharam Singh, who represented the Jewargi Assembly constituency, was chief minister. The protests also saw the participation of pontiffs of various mutts.
Although Dharam Singh approved the project in 2006, work started only in 2012. Considering the slow progress of the project, hundreds of farmers, under the banner of “Jewargi-Yadrami Taluk Raita Horata Samithi”, blocked the National Highway 150 by parking bullock carts at Chigaralli Cross in December 2024.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 359 crore for the Mallabad Lift Irrigation Scheme Phases 1, 2 and 3 (to complete pending works, including distributing canals for Lifts 1, 2, and 3. Primary canal work is complete, with the construction going on for distribution channels). The revised estimate is Rs 578.27 crore and till March 2025, Rs 281.48 crore had been spent.
Under the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) Stage-3, the Mallabad scheme is one of the major projects that will irrigate 33,860 hectares (over 83,000 acres) of farm land across 68 villages of Jewargi, Yadrami of Kalaburagi district and Shahapur of Yadgir district. As of now, 7,144 hectares have been irrigated, while the remaining 26,716 hectares will be covered once the project is completed.
The project involves three main lift points at Balbatti, Jamkhandi and Nagnur and is designed to lift water from the Jewargi Branch Canal (JBC), a part of the Upper Krishna Project. This project is crucial for transforming the agricultural landscape of the region, providing necessary water and improving the economic stability of local farmers.
The total canal network is 513.94 km, of which 128.44 km has been completed. First, second and third phases of headwork, installing motors, electrification work and main channel work have been completed. The project is likely to be completed by September 2027, sources said.