Lok Sabha Question No. 122 (STARRED), answered on 2022-02-10
Subject: Clearance to Upper Bhadra Project
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Prajwal Revanna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *122

ANSWERED ON 10.02.2022

## CLEARANCE TO UPPER BHADRA PROJECT

| *122. SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA                                                                                                                                                                         |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:                                                                                                                                               |
| (a) whether the Investment Committee of the Ministry had cleared Rs. 16,125 crore for Upper Bhadra Project in the State of Karnataka;                                                              |
| (b) if so, the details thereof and the time by which the project is likely to be completed;                                                                                                        |
| (c) whether it is true that Upper Bhadra Project is likely to irrigate approximately 2.25 lakh hectares                                                                                            |
| in drought prone districts of Central Karnataka viz. Davangere, Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts and if so, the details thereof; and                                             |
| (d) whether the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have raised several objections to undertake the project in the State of Karnataka and if so, the details thereof and the reasons |
| therefor?                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ANSWER                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI                                                                                                                                                               |
| (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)                                                                                                                                                                         |
| A statement is laid on the Table of the House.                                                                                                                                                     |

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  STARRED QUESTION No. *122 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.02.2022 REGARDING 'CLEARANCE  TO UPPER BHADRA  PROJECT' ASKED BY SHRI  PRAJWAL REVANNA.

- (a) & (b) Yes,  Sir.  In  April,  2021,  the  Upper  Bhadra  Project  (UBP)  has  been  accorded investment  clearance  by  this  Ministry  for  estimated  cost  of  Rs.  16,125.48  crore  at  2018-19  price level. The project is planned for completion by 2023-24.
- (c) The  project  envisages  to  irrigate  2,25,515  hectares  by  micro  irrigation  in  drought-prone districts  of  Chikkmagaluru,  Chitradurga,  Tumakuru  and  Davangere.  District-wise  break-up  of irrigated areas is as under:
- (d) In March, 2021 and subsequently in July, 2021, Government of Telangana made request to Central Water Commission (CWC) to defer the clearance given by Ministry to UBP, till finalization of Award of Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT)- II. Detailed reply to both these letters has been  forwarded  by  CWC  to  the  State  Government vide  letters  dated  02.06.2021  and  01.11.2021, respectively.

| S.   | No   | Districts      | Targeted Irrigation in Hectare   |
|------|------|----------------|----------------------------------|
| 1    |      | Chikkamagaluru | 44,555                           |
| 2    |      | Chitradurga    | 1,54,245                         |
| 3    |      | Tumakuru       | 19,215                           |
| 4    |      | Davangere      | 7,500                            |
|      |      | Total          | 2,25,515                         |

Further, in December, 2021 Government of Andhra Pradesh had requested, inter alia, not to go ahead with approval of the project till KWDT-II decision is published. A detailed reply to the State Government has been provided by this Ministry in January, 2022.

In  replies  to  both  the  above  States,  it  has  been  emphasized  that  the  water  allocation  for  the project is well within the allocations made by KWDT-I to the State of Karnataka, based on which the project has been cleared from inter-State aspect.

******