Farmers in Karnataka Skip Second Crop Amid State and Union Policy Concerns

Rapid Summary

• Farmers in the command area of the Tungabhadra reservoir have been denied water for the second crop this year due to faulty crest gates and delayed government action.
• Seven crest gates (11, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, and 28) are jammed, limiting reservoir storage to approximately 80 tmcft instead of its full capacity of 105.788 tmcft.
• Officials confirmed that no water would be released for the second crop; farmers in raichur, Koppal, and ballari protested against government negligence.
• Crest Gate No.19 washed away in August 2024 during a crisis; temporary measures were taken but complete replacement of all 33 gates has not begun despite expert recommendations.
• Around eight lakh acres depend on Tungabhadra waters; farmers say non-irrigation impacts not only cultivation but also allied industries like laborers and rice mills across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
• Accumulation of silt has reduced reservoir capacity by nearly 27 tmcft from its original design. A balancing reservoir proposal at Navale remains stalled due to lack of consensus among States.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The denial of irrigation water for millions in the Tungabhadra command region reflects important governance challenges at multiple levels-state coordination and infrastructure planning.The decade-long failure to replace aging infrastructure such as crest gates poses serious risks not just economically but socially. Experts had advised replacing outdated components urgently after past failures like Crest Gate no.19’s collapse in August last year-inaction on these recommendations directly impacts agricultural viability for lakhs who depend on consistent irrigation cycles.Furthermore, unresolved issues like excessive silt accumulation underline long-standing inefficiencies tied to maintenance oversight while proposals like building a balancing reservoir face bureaucratic gridlock between States involved (Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh-Telangana).On a larger scale-delays tied either political disputes feeding central neglect disadvantage pool/joint benefit posed small-scale/rational-real urgent fixes likely worsen collective trust worsening/employment/labors pioneering some crop/thumb fold disrupting perpetual/continue farmers urging democracy-intervention-realbrief disappear reality!