The state government has launched a plan to boost and lift irrigation projects in the state wherein it will install solar panels on irrigation canals to generate power. In the first phase, this project would be implemented in Yadgir, Raichur and Bijapur districts and then extended to other districts.
The Karnataka government took the initiative inspired by the success of a similar project implementation in Gujarat where the villages are getting uninterrupted power supply.
Water resources minister Bommai told ToI on Wednesday that the decision was taken after a team of experts recently visited Gujarat and recommended the project. The government has given the work to a private firm which would be installing solar panel on the canals and will also take care of their maintenance. “The rural areas do not get adequate power supply and as a result were unable to lift water. By installing these solar panels, each village would be able to generate 5 mw of power that is sufficient for household and agriculture activities,” he said.
Meet on Kalasa Banduri
Referring to the Kalasa Banduri project, Bommai said, a meeting of the legal cell dealing with the Kalasa Banduri project will be convened on August 18 in New Delhi. Chief minister Jagadish Shettar will chair the meeting and the resolutions passed at the meeting would be proposed to the Union government.
The work will begin at the site from September 6, he said, adding that the government had accepted the recommendations of Dr Paramashiva Committee which conducted a study on Bennihalla that flows into Dharwad and Gadag districts.
Encroachment drive
The government will soon launch de-siltation and encroachment clearance drive.
The work is expected to be over before December, Bommai said.
