Over 70 per cent of the 3,524 minor irrigation tanks in Karnataka have gone dry due to poor monsoon rains.
Minor irrigation tanks play a vital role in the State’s foodgrain production and cover a total ayacut area of 4.19 lakh hectares.
According to Karnataka minor irrigation department statistics, at the end of two months of monsoon rains, 28 per cent of the tanks have storage capacity of 30 per cent to 50 per cent of their capacity. Only one per cent of the tanks had storage of more than 50 per cent.
South Zone
In South zone, a total number of 1,968 minor irrigation tanks are spread over 17 districts. This year only five tanks are reported to be filled up to their full capacity as on July 21.
The following districts have not received adequate rains: Bangalore Urban total number of tanks 47 (number of tanks not received water 13 tanks), Bangalore Rural 98 tanks, (86 tanks), Kolar 138 tanks (138 tanks), Chikkaballapura 201 tanks (176 tanks), Tumkur 368 tanks (274 tanks), Chitradurga 133 tanks (128 tanks), Davangere 92 tanks (92 tanks), Mysore 51 tanks (37 tanks), Mandya 48 tanks (45 tank), Hassan 163 tanks (139 tanks), Chikkamagalur 121 tanks (50 tanks) and Kodagu 29 tanks (7 tanks).
North Zone
In north zone comprising of 13 districts, a total number of 1,556 tanks are existing. Of these only three tanks are reported to have been filled up to their full capacity.
The districts which have not received adequate rains: Bellary 81 tanks (61 tanks), Koppal 106 tanks, (106 tanks), Raichur 68 tanks (68 tanks) Gulbarga 152 tanks (102 tanks), Bidar 117 tanks (93 tanks), Belgaum 255 tanks (227 tanks), Bagalkote 63 tanks (63 tanks), Bijapur 149 tanks (145 tanks), Gadag 29 tanks (22 tanks), Haveri 263 tanks (226 tanks) Dharwad 111 tanks (01 tank), Uttara Kannada 91 tanks (28 tanks) and Yadgir 71 tanks (69 tanks).