Starting Thursday, 2 tmcft of Ghataprabha river water will be released from the Hidkal dam in Belagavi district to cater to drinking water requirements in surrounding villages and towns. The water release will continue for six days.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi confirmed that he has directed officials to manage the situation by releasing water from the reservoir. The release is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The Minister also appealed to farmers not to divert the drinking water for agricultural or other uses.
Additionally, from April 1, water from the Hidkal reservoir will be released to the Ghataprabha left and right bank canals, as well as community-based canals, for 10 days to support drinking needs for people and livestock.
Mr. Jarkiholi has urged citizens to use water responsibly and avoid wastage.
Currently, 4,000 cusecs of water is already being released daily. The government has also initiated steps to release water from Kotbagi, Kalamaddy, and Ramalingeshwar lift irrigation schemes, strictly for drinking purposes, as per an official release.
