Upper Bhadra Project: Trial water flow begins in Chitradurga canal
Trial release of 3 TMC water begins in Chitradurga Branch Canal under Upper Bhadra Project, marking a historic moment after decades of demand.
The Upper Bhadra Project reached a significant milestone on Sunday, September 6, 2026, with the commencement of a trial water release into the Chitradurga Branch Canal. The flow, initiated at the intake point on the Bhadra reservoir, marks the first step in delivering water to a region that has awaited the project for decades.
As part of this trial phase, three TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water is being released. The comprehensive project is designed to eventually supply water to 12 taluks spread across four districts: Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Chikkamagaluru, and Davanagere.
The Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare, who also serves as the in-charge Minister for Chitradurga district, was present at the reservoir to witness the occasion. He described the project's fruition as a matter of great satisfaction, noting that the struggle for its realisation spanned six to seven decades.
The Minister paid tribute to the numerous individuals, associations, and farmers' groups who campaigned tirelessly for the project over the years, acknowledging that many of them did not live to see this day. He also credited successive Chief Ministers, from S.M. Krishna to the current Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with former Chief Ministers and district in-charge Ministers, for their roles in advancing the initiative.
Under the project's design, 17.4 TMC of water is lifted from the Tunga river into the Bhadra reservoir. An additional 12.5 TMC is drawn directly from the reservoir, bringing the total to 29.9 TMC that is lifted to the tunnel near Ajjampura. From this point, the water is distributed through the Chitradurga Branch Canal and the Tumakuru Branch Canal.
The broader project aims to fill 367 tanks and provide drip irrigation to 2.25 lakh hectares. However, as the drip irrigation infrastructure and tank-filling works are not yet complete, the current release has been limited to 3 TMC on a trial basis. The Minister indicated that the arrangement would become permanent once the pending works are finished, and appealed to the public for cooperation to avoid confusion during this interim period.
Several MLAs, including K. Veerendra Pappi (Chitradurga), M. Chandranna (Holalkere), T.B. Jayachandra (Sira), G.H. Srinivas (Tarikere), and B.G. Govindappa (Hosadurga), along with other elected representatives and officials, were present at the event.