The Kalaburagi district administration has identified 77 places to rejuvenate existing lakes or to create new waterbodies as part of the Central government’s Amrit Sarovar scheme to mark the 75th year of Independence.
The programme is launched by Jal Shakti Ministry and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. The creation or rejuvenation of the Amrit Sarovars will be a special effort under the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign. The nodal officers of Jal Shakti Abhiyan-Catch the Rain Campaign are also roped in to monitor the progress of Amrit Sarovar.
The job card holders under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will be roped in for creating the waterbodies, besides this the resources from MGNREGA, 14th Finance Commission Grants, and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sinchayee Yojana will be accessed for the programme.
A team of geologists has identified potential sites for creating new lakes in Kalaburagi district. The 77 identified sites include 40 old lakes which will be rejuvenated and another 35 new waterbodies created. Of the 77 sites selected for waterbodies 21 are in Kalaburagi taluk, 19 in Afzalpur taluk, 13 in Chincholi , 11 in Chittapur, eight in Jewargi, and five waterbodies in Sedam taluk.
Officials said that a minimum pondage area of one acre has been selected for creating waterbodies. Some of the major lakes identified for rejuvenation include Tarkaspet lake spread across 163 acres at Rampurhalli in Chittapur, Chikkalingadahalli lake on 107 acres of land, and Hudadhalli lake on 90 acres of land in Chincholi taluk, Bidnur kere on 59 areas in Afzalpur taluk, Alhalli lake on 53 acres in Chittapur, Naralkod lake on 40 acres land in Kalaburagi taluk, besides rejuvenation, a new waterbody would come up on 115 acres of land in Kardal village on Kalaburagi taluk.
Girish D. Badole, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat told The Hindu that at least 25 waterbodies would be completed by August 2022, and work on all the 77 structures will be completed by August 2023. The Amrit Sarovar programme would offer a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis, Dr. Badole added.
