Latest news with #IrrigationAct
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
Water to be released from Bhadra canal to Vani Vilas Sagar starting July 27
Shivamogga: The Visvesvaraya Jal Nigam has announced the release of water from the Bhadra Upper River Project's (BRP) main canal to Vani Vilas Sagar, starting from July 27 as per govt instructions. The water will traverse through the main canal, originating at Bhadra reservoir, and flow through various gram panchayats, including Lakkavalli, Lingadahalli, Tarikere Kasaba, Amritapura, and Ajjampur in Tarikere taluk, Chikkamagaluru district. The water will proceed via Shantipura Pump House-1, Jambhadahalli Aqueduct, Tarikere Rail Bridge, Bettatavarakere Pump House-2, and Ajjampur Tunnel to the Y-junction near Hettur village. Subsequently, it will flow through multiple villages before joining the Vedavati River canal to reach Vani Vilas Sagar in Chitradurga district. Ban on activities near the canal Public safety regulations strictly prohibit activities near the canal, including loitering around its banks and allowing people or livestock into the water. The Irrigation Act stipulates legal consequences for violations, unauthorised water extraction, and damage to irrigation infrastructure. This announcement follows a Monday meeting where district minister Madhu Bangarappa discussed water release for monsoon crops in the Bhadra reservoir's command area for 2024-25. The right bank canal and its branches will receive water for 120 days from the night of July 22, with left bank canal release dates to be announced later. The Karnataka Irrigation Act 1965 outlines penalties for those who breach crop patterns, misuse water allocation, or engage in unauthorised irrigation. Water distribution will be limited to scheduled fields and crops, based on reservoir levels. Farmers growing unauthorised crops will bear responsibility for any losses, with the water resources department assuming no liability, the minister said. R Ravichandra, member secretary of the Bhadra Project Irrigation Consultative Committee, stressed the necessity of farmers' collaboration in efficient water utilisation.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt report biased, argue Ambazari residents, demand removal of Vivekanand statue
1 2 Nagpur: Petitioners in a PIL concerning the Ambazari flood disaster have challenged a report submitted by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune. They accused the report of legitimizing the unauthorized construction of Swami Vivekananda statue in the spill channel of Ambazari dam. In a new affidavit filed before the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, 91-year-old Ramgopal Bachuka and a group of senior citizens alleged that the CWPRS report was commissioned by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), which is under scrutiny for regulatory violations. The affidavit is part of a PIL seeking accountability for the flood on September 2023 that caused extensive damage. "The CWPRS study cannot override legislative provisions, including the Irrigation Act and Wetland Rules, under which the statue's location is in a prohibited area," petitioners argued through counsel Tushar Mandlekar. "The report is designed to justify an illegal structure rather than evaluate the flood dynamics accurately." They objected to the minutes of the High Power Committee (HPC) meeting held on April 29, which accepted the CWPRS report and declined to consider relocating the statue. The HPC, they contended, failed to address key concerns, including prior affidavits by departments such as irrigation and urban development, which acknowledged the illegality of the site. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like It's Affordable and Actually Works Undo The petitioners also noted that the CWPRS admitted to discrepancies in its data sets but proceeded to prepare simulations using a peak flood discharge of only 116.10 cumecs — the design standard for a 1-in-100-year flood. In contrast, the Ambazari dam is built to handle a discharge of 320 cumecs, or a 1-in-1,000-year event, according to the National Institute of Hydrology. They alleged that the statue and associated amenities — including a pedestal, library, and public seating — obstruct the dam's tail channel, reducing water-carrying capacity and creating a bottleneck that contributed to flooding in the city. Citing a 2024 affidavit from the principal secretary of the urban development department, the petitioners reiterated that the statue lies in a zone where development is restricted by govt resolutions issued on August 2, 2013 and March 8, 2018. They also submitted reports from Hitbhav Engineers, and the Command Area Development Authority, which showed the tail channel's width had been reduced due to construction, aggravating flood risks at the confluence of the Nag and Pili rivers. The petitioners have urged the court to reject the CWPRS report and direct authorities to restore the Nag River's natural flow by removing obstructions. The next hearing is scheduled for July 9. BOX Challenge To CWPRS Ambazari Flood Study #Core Arguments: CWPRS flood study termed a 'sham report' Petitioners say it was influenced by NMC HPC meeting failed to consider statutory violations #Technical Disputes: Dam discharge capacity: 320 cumecs CWPRS simulation: 116 cumecs Tail channel narrowed by statue platform, creating bottleneck #Legal Grounds: 2013 & 2018 GRs prohibit any construction at site Principal secretary's 2024 affidavit admits location is a 'prohibited area' #Demand: Court must reject report and restore Nag River's natural flow
