Assessors for irrigation in Hemavathi, Harangi, Kabini

Bangalore, May 23 (UNI) Overruling the suggestion of Tamil Nadu, the Assessors report on water requirement of riparian states in the Cauvery basin has said there was need for taking up artificial irrigation in the command areas of Hemavathi, Harangi and Kabini projects in Karnataka for raising semi-dry crops.

The assessors report prepared by experts, J L Gianchandani and S R Sahasrabudhe, had been circulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal to the states in dispute for their views, to be submitted before June 14.

Karnataka had in its plea before the Tribunal stated that a cultivable area of 14,94,597 hectares with a population of 5.03 million had been identified as drought prone in 28 taluks falling under the Cauvery basin of the state.

In its statement of the case and in its pleadings for new projects in the basin, Karnataka had stated that it planned to raise semi-dry crops in all the major and medium projects. The main reservoir projects mentioned were Hemavathi, Harangi and Kabini in which bulk of the available river supplies were planned for raising khariff and rabi semi-dry crops and small areas for paddy, except in Kabini where over 50,000 acres new irrigation had been planned for raising paddy crop.

In its arguments, Tamil Nadu had emphasised that the command areas covered by these projects receive sufficient rainfall for raising semi-dry crops.

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