Koppal: BJP district president Naveen Kumar Gulagannavar has demanded the immediate completion of the long-pending Tungabhadra tank-filling project in Yelburga and Koppal Assembly constituencies.The project, launched by the minor irrigation department in 2015 during the tenure of then Yelburga MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy and the Siddaramaiah-led govt, aimed to draw water from the Tungabhadra reservoir to fill tanks in Yelburga, Kukanoor and Koppal taluks, providing relief to drought-prone regions. Nearly nine years later, the project remains unfinished.In a statement, Gulagannavar said the govt sanctioned Rs 293 crore in 2017 to fill 13 tanks in Yelburga taluk. The tender process was completed in May that year, and work began soon after. However, the project is yet to be completed.He alleged that govt apathy and the negligence of minor irrigation department officials stalled what was expected to be a lifeline for farmers, terming the delay a “great betrayal” of the people of the region.While pipelines worth crores of rupees have been laid, key infrastructure, including the jackwell, pump house and electricity connection, remains incomplete. He also accused officials of failing to exert pressure on the contractor to complete the remaining work.Gulagannavar recalled that former minor irrigation minister NS Boseraju inspected the site last year and assured that water would be released into the tanks by March 2025, but the assurance remains unfulfilled.Referring to the current monsoon failure, he said farmers have been forced to use tanker water to save standing pigeon pea and maize crops. Had the project been completed, it would have provided relief to the drought-hit region, he said.He urged the govt to complete the project without further delay and warned that the BJP would launch a protest along with farmers if pending works are not expedited.
