Mysuru: The Water Resources Department recently conducted a workshop for officials on various provisions of the Karnataka Irrigation (Amendment) Act, 2024, which will come into effect in due course.

Inaugurating the workshop organised at Mysuru Builders Charitable Trust in Vishweshwaranagar here recently, K. Vishwanath Reddy, Special Officer to Dy.CM D.K. Shivakumar, instructed the Department personnel to apprise themselves of the provisions of the Act and take measures to crack down on illegal or unauthorised use of water from canals, rivers, lakes, etc. for irrigation purpose.

He pointed out that the Govt.  amended Karnataka Irrigation Act, 1965 (Karnataka Act 16 of 1965) to prevent illegal tapping of water and ensure that water reaches the end user. Stating that the amended Act has been given consent by the Governor, Reddy said, the amended rules and the provisions of the Act will be implemented within some weeks.

“As per the provisions of the amended Act, many irregularities like siphoning off water from canals can be prevented and this will help farmers in the tail-end region. The objective of the workshop is to apprise the Department officials and staff of the various provisions of the amended Act,” he said.

A draft amendment was prepared in consultation with 14 other Departments before it was finally approved and tabled in the Assembly, after which the Council got Governor’s nod, he added.

Technical Advisor to Deputy CM, K. Jayaprakash, spoke about the salient features of the amended Act and reviewed the provisions under the Act, while Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited Secretary M.S. Girish and Karnataka State Law University Assistant Professor Dr. Sunil Hegde spoke about  legal issues (Para Judicial functioning).

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) Chief Engineer R.L. Venkatesh, Irrigation Department Chief Engineer B.N. Phaniraj, Joint Secretary of Water Resources Department Sujatha L. Jadhav, Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) Director K.G. Mahesh, Hemavathi Project Chief Engineer G.C. Manjunath, Minor Irrigation Superintending Engineer (SE) Prashanth B. Gadadanappagol &  CADA Administrative Officer Shivamahadevaiah were present.