Some farmers tried to stall work at the Kalasa Banduri Nala site at Kankumbi near Belagavi on Monday, accusing Irrigation Department officials of diverting Malaprabha river basin water into the irrigation canals in violation of rules. They did not succeed as the officials convinced them that their fears were unfounded.
A group of farmers led by Kalasa Banduri Horata Samiti president Vijay Kulkarni went to Kankumbi and argued with the engineers working on the site that it was within walking distance of the mountain spring from which the river Malaprabha originates.
They alleged that they were trying to divert the inflow from rivulets away from the spring and into the Kalasa Banduri Nala canal. “Our demand is to divert Mahadayi waters into the Malaprabha river course. But the officials are doing the exact opposite,” Mr. Kulkarni said.
He said that there was huge flow of water from the Malaprabha catchment area to the Mahadayi/ Mandovi river through rivulets that were diverted by officials. He urged the State government to stop this reverse flow.
Mr. Kulkarni has urged the government to ensure that the entire water from the catchment area is diverted to the Malaprabha river course.
Allegations refuted
The officials, however, have denied the allegations.
Mallikarjun Gunge, Managing Director of the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam, said that the officials were not diverting inflow into the river. They are only channelling water away from the work site.
“We are not allowed to divert water from one basin to another, till the tribunal gives its final judgment. We are not doing anything remotely related to that,” he told The Hindu.
He clarified that the rivulets were flowing into the Kalasa Banduri Nala, a tributary of the Mahadayi.
“Our worksite is 800 metres away from the spot where the Malaprabha originates. The two basins are distinct. There is no question of us causing damage to the river course or diverting water at source,” he said.
The Department of Forests has declared that the area surrounding the birth place of the river is an eco-sensitive zone, where all civil work will need prior permission.