Karnataka government to introduce law to control theft of irrigation water

Bengaluru: Describing water theft from irrigation canals a “major problem”, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the government will introduce a new law in this regard.

Shivakumar, who is also the water resources minister told the Legislative Assembly that he will introduce a Bill in a week’s time to control such activities. “The Bill is almost ready.”

He was responding to a question by Jamkhandi BJP MLA Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti, during ‘Question Hour’.

“In districts with irrigation projects like Mandya, Hassan, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi among others – this is a major problem. Water is not reaching the tail-end regions,” Shivakumar said.

Water is being “siphoned off” from canals using bores or motors, he said expressing concerns over the Yettinahole project and said the government has already spent Rs 25,000 crore on the project. “I’m scared that water won’t reach the tail end.”

Yettinahole project aims to draw 24 tmcft of water from the Yettinahole river in Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district to meet the drinking water demands of Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Ramanagara and some parts of Bangalore Urban districts.

Shivakumar also called on political and public leaders to work in their respective regions or constituencies to stop water theft from canals.