Bedti-Varda river interlinking project

Tags: National News

Two environmental groups in Karnataka have criticised the Bedati and Varada river-linking project, calling it unscientific and a waste of public money.

• Bedti-Varda Project

• The Bedati-Varda project was envisaged in the year 1992 for the supply of drinking water.

• The plan aims to connect the Bedati, a west-flowing river towards the Arabian Sea, with the Varada, a tributary of the Tungabhadra River, which joins the Krishna River and drains into the Bay of Bengal.

• A huge dam will be built at Hirewadti in Gadag district.

• A second dam will be built on the Pattanahalla river at Menasagoda in Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.

• Both the dams will carry water through tunnels to Varada.

• The water will reach Kengre and then flow down a 6.88 km tunnel to Hakkalumane, where it will join the Varada.

• Thus, the project envisages carrying water from Sirsi-Yellapur region of Uttara Kannada district to arid regions of Raichur, Gadag and Koppal districts.

• Project related issues

• Difficulty in re-routing - Redirecting a west-flowing river to east-flowing is a difficult task.

• Rivers dependent on rainwater – In early summer, the Bedati and Varda rivers start drying up.

• Lack of proper project report