Massive agitation planned to press for full utilisation of Krishna River allocation

Farmers in North Karnataka are gearing up for a large-scale demonstration called “March Towards Krishna” on February 9 to protest what they describe as prolonged government inaction on the Upper Krishna Project.

Lakshmikant Patil Maddaraki, State Vice-President of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Raitha Sena, made the announcement while speaking to reporters at the Alamatti Tourist Lodge.

He charged that even six decades after the project’s inauguration, the state has failed to make full use of its allocated Krishna river water.

He reminded the gathering that the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, chaired by Justice Brijesh Kumar, authorised raising the Alamatti dam height from 519.60 metres to 524.256 metres back in 2010. Patil claimed the government has repeatedly postponed execution by offering unfounded excuses, leaving farmers in the drought-affected region without the promised irrigation benefits.

Patil extended an open invitation to all farmer groups across North Karnataka, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other forward-thinking organisations, to join the February 9 agitation in large numbers.

He recalled that the Upper Krishna Project officially began on May 22, 1964, when then Union Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri performed the groundbreaking ceremony at Alamatti. Despite the passage of 62 years, Patil described the state government’s approach as discriminatory, saying the long-cherished hopes of farmers in this parched belt remain unfulfilled.

The leader highlighted the urgency created by the tribunal’s timeline as Karnataka must utilise its full Krishna water share by May 31, 2050. Once that deadline passes, he warned, water could be redistributed among the basin states or certain projects might face cancellation, inflicting severe hardship on the region’s people.

To avoid such an outcome, Patil called for the Upper Krishna Project to be elevated to national project status and handed over to the Central government for time-bound execution, ensuring the state receives its rightful entitlement without further delay.

He also questioned why the authorities continue to resist raising the dam to the permitted 524.256-metre level, noting that the move would involve relocating only about 20 villages and acquiring roughly 75,000 acres of land, steps he argued are manageable given the long-term benefits to agriculture and livelihoods.

The planned march reflects growing frustration among farmers who see the stalled project as a betrayal of decades-old commitments to transform drought-prone areas through reliable irrigation.