Irrigation and Major Irrigation Projects

Question

Irrigation is crucial for agriculture in Karnataka, as much of the state experiences irregular rainfall and periodic droughts. The state's irrigation infrastructure, which includes canals, dams, reservoirs, and tanks, helps to sustain agricultural productivity. Karnataka has several major irrigation projects that are essential for managing water resources and supporting agriculture.

Types of Irrigation in Karnataka:

1. Canal Irrigation: The largest irrigation system in Karnataka, using water from rivers stored in dams and reservoirs.
2. Tank Irrigation: Traditional method of irrigation, particularly in the drier parts of the state.
3. Lift Irrigation: Involves lifting water from rivers and reservoirs to higher altitudes using pumps.
4. Wells and Tube Wells: Common in regions with accessible groundwater.

Major Rivers Used for Irrigation:

1. Cauvery River
2. Krishna River
3. Tungabhadra River
4. Sharavathi River
5. Hemavati River
6. Kabini River
7. Malaprabha River
8. Ghataprabha River

Major Irrigation Projects in Karnataka:

1. Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam

• River: Cauvery
• Location: Mandya district
• Capacity: 49.45 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet)
• Purpose: Irrigation, drinking water supply, and power generation.
• Key Features:
  • Built in 1924 under the supervision of Sir M. Visvesvaraya.
  • Supports irrigation in Mysuru, Mandya, and surrounding regions.
  • A lifeline for the southern districts of Karnataka, particularly for rice and sugarcane cultivation.

2. Tungabhadra Dam

• River: Tungabhadra
• Location: Hospet, Ballari district
• Capacity: 133 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power generation.
• Key Features:
  • Provides irrigation for over 3 lakh hectares in Ballari, Raichur, and Koppal.
  • Supports paddy, groundnut, and cotton cultivation.

3. Almatti Dam

• River: Krishna
• Location: Bagalkot district
• Capacity: 123 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation, power generation, and drinking water.
• Key Features:
  • Important for irrigation in northern Karnataka.
  • Part of the Upper Krishna Project, it provides irrigation to drought-prone districts like Vijayapura and Bagalkot.

4. Kabini Dam

• River: Kabini
• Location: Mysuru district
• Capacity: 19.52 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation and drinking water.
• Key Features:
  • Supports irrigation for over 2 lakh hectares in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts.
  • Key water source for paddy cultivation in the region.

5. Hemavathi Dam

• River: Hemavathi
• Location: Hassan district
• Capacity: 37.1 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation and drinking water.
• Key Features:
  • Provides irrigation for the districts of Hassan, Mandya, and Tumkur.
  • Important for horticulture, sugarcane, and paddy cultivation.

6. Ghataprabha Project

• River: Ghataprabha
• Location: Belgaum district
• Capacity: 51 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation.
• Key Features:
  • Provides irrigation to northern Karnataka, especially for sugarcane and cotton crops.
  • Supports agriculture in Bagalkot and Belgaum districts.

7. Malaprabha Dam

• River: Malaprabha
• Location: Belgaum district
• Capacity: 37 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation and drinking water.
• Key Features:
  • Serves Dharwad, Gadag, and parts of Belgaum districts.
  • Provides water for crops like maize, cotton, and pulses.

8. Bhadra Dam

• River: Bhadra
• Location: Shivamogga district
• Capacity: 71.5 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation and power generation.
• Key Features:
  • Important for irrigating paddy and areca nut in the Malnad region.
  • Supports irrigation in Shivamogga and Davangere districts.

9. Narayanpur Dam

• River: Krishna
• Location: Yadgir district
• Capacity: 33 TMC
• Purpose: Irrigation and drinking water.
• Key Features:
  • Part of the Upper Krishna Project.
  • Provides irrigation to over 4 lakh hectares in the northern districts of Karnataka, supporting cotton, wheat, and rice cultivation.

10. Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project

• River: Sharavathi
• Location: Shivamogga district
• Capacity: 891 MW (power generation)
• Purpose: Power generation (primarily), with some irrigation benefits.
• Key Features:
  • One of the largest power projects in Karnataka.
  • Located in the ecologically rich Western Ghats.

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Summary of Major Irrigation Projects in Karnataka:

Project	River	District	Purpose	Key Crops Supported
Krishna Raja Sagara	Cauvery	Mandya	Irrigation, drinking water, power	Rice, sugarcane
Tungabhadra Dam	Tungabhadra	Ballari	Irrigation, power	Paddy, groundnut, cotton
Almatti Dam	Krishna	Bagalkot	Irrigation, power	Cotton, sugarcane
Kabini Dam	Kabini	Mysuru	Irrigation, drinking water	Paddy, sugarcane
Hemavathi Dam	Hemavathi	Hassan	Irrigation, drinking water	Paddy, horticulture, sugarcane
Ghataprabha Project	Ghataprabha	Belgaum	Irrigation	Cotton, sugarcane
Malaprabha Dam	Malaprabha	Belgaum	Irrigation, drinking water	Maize, pulses, cotton
Bhadra Dam	Bhadra	Shivamogga	Irrigation, power generation	Paddy, areca nut
Narayanpur Dam	Krishna	Yadgir	Irrigation, drinking water	Wheat, cotton, rice
Sharavathi Project	Sharavathi	Shivamogga	Power generation, irrigation (minimal)	Power, limited irrigation

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Irrigation Challenges in Karnataka:

1. Water Scarcity: Northern districts of Karnataka are drought-prone and suffer from water shortages.
2. Interstate River Water Disputes: Karnataka has ongoing disputes with neighboring states over the sharing of Cauvery and Krishna waters.
3. Groundwater Depletion: Excessive dependence on groundwater in certain regions has led to depletion of aquifers.
4. Uneven Distribution of Irrigation: Some regions benefit more from irrigation projects, while others, especially in the northeast, continue to face challenges.

Initiatives and Solutions:

• The Karnataka government is focusing on modernizing irrigation systems, adopting micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler systems), and promoting rainwater harvesting to overcome these challenges.

These irrigation projects play a vital role in sustaining Karnataka's agriculture, ensuring water availability in drought-prone areas, and supporting the state’s agricultural economy.

Answer 1

MCQ 1: Match the following dams with their respective rivers:

Dams	Rivers
1. Krishna Raja Sagara	a) Tungabhadra
2. Almatti	b) Hemavathi
3. Bhadra	c) Krishna
4. Tungabhadra	d) Cauvery
5. Hemavathi	e) Bhadra

Options:
a) 1-d, 2-c, 3-e, 4-a, 5-b
b) 1-e, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-d
c) 1-a, 2-d, 3-c, 4-b, 5-e
d) 1-c, 2-e, 3-d, 4-b, 5-a

Answer: a) 1-d, 2-c, 3-e, 4-a, 5-b

Explanation:

• Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS): Cauvery (d)
• Almatti: Krishna (c)
• Bhadra: Bhadra (e)
• Tungabhadra: Tungabhadra (a)
• Hemavathi: Hemavathi (b)

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MCQ 2: Match the following irrigation projects with their key features:

Irrigation Projects	Key Features
1. Tungabhadra Dam	a) Located in Mandya, important for rice and sugarcane irrigation
2. Almatti Dam	b) Important for irrigation in northern Karnataka and cotton cultivation
3. Kabini Dam	c) Located in Mysuru, supports irrigation for paddy cultivation
4. KRS Dam	d) Important for irrigating over 3 lakh hectares in Ballari and Raichur
5. Hemavathi Dam	e) Supports horticulture and irrigation in Hassan and Tumkur

Options:
a) 1-d, 2-b, 3-c, 4-a, 5-e
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-e, 5-d
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-e, 4-d, 5-c
d) 1-e, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c, 5-b

Answer: a) 1-d, 2-b, 3-c, 4-a, 5-e

Explanation:

• Tungabhadra Dam: Irrigates over 3 lakh hectares in Ballari and Raichur (d)
• Almatti Dam: Important for irrigation in northern Karnataka, especially for cotton (b)
• Kabini Dam: Supports irrigation for paddy cultivation in Mysuru (c)
• KRS Dam: Located in Mandya, supports rice and sugarcane cultivation (a)
• Hemavathi Dam: Supports horticulture and irrigation in Hassan and Tumkur (e)

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MCQ 3: Match the following rivers with the corresponding dams located on them:

Rivers	Dams
1. Malaprabha	a) Narayanpur Dam
2. Krishna	b) Almatti Dam
3. Sharavathi	c) Malaprabha Dam
4. Tungabhadra	d) Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project
5. Bhadra	e) Tungabhadra Dam

Options:
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-d, 4-e, 5-a
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-e, 4-d, 5-b
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-d, 4-e, 5-e
d) 1-e, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b, 5-c

Answer: c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-d, 4-e, 5-e

Explanation:

• Malaprabha River: Malaprabha Dam (c)
• Krishna River: Almatti Dam (b)
• Sharavathi River: Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project (d)
• Tungabhadra River: Tungabhadra Dam (e)
• Bhadra River: Bhadra Dam (e)

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MCQ 4: Match the following irrigation projects with their purposes:

Projects	Purposes
1. KRS Dam	a) Drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power
2. Narayanpur Dam	b) Primarily for power generation in the Western Ghats
3. Bhadra Dam	c) Irrigation for over 4 lakh hectares in northern Karnataka
4. Sharavathi Project	d) Irrigation, especially for paddy and areca nut

Options:
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-d, 4-b
b) 1-d, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c
c) 1-e, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d

Answer: a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-d, 4-b

Explanation:

• KRS Dam: Drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power (a)
• Narayanpur Dam: Irrigation for over 4 lakh hectares in northern Karnataka (c)
• Bhadra Dam: Irrigation for paddy and areca nut (d)
• Sharavathi Project: Primarily for power generation in the Western Ghats (b)