For the people of Chitradurga, Sunday was decades in the making. Water began flowing from the Bhadra reservoir into the Chitradurga Branch Canal on September 6, 2026, as the Upper Bhadra Project launched a trial release — a moment elected representatives described as historic given the district's long fight for irrigation.

Key facts

  • The trial run began on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at the project's intake point on the Bhadra reservoir in Tarikere taluk.
  • Three TMC of water is being released into the Chitradurga Branch Canal on a trial basis.
  • The project is designed to supply water to 12 taluks across Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Chikkamagaluru and Davanagere districts.
  • Once complete, it aims to fill 367 tanks and provide drip irrigation to 2.25 lakh hectares.

A struggle spanning six to seven decades

Elected representatives from Chitradurga and Tumakuru districts gathered at the reservoir to witness the launch. Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare and Chitradurga district in-charge Minister T. Raghumurthy said the fruition of the project, after a struggle spanning six to seven decades, was a matter of great satisfaction.

He paid tribute to the individuals, associations and farmers' groups who had campaigned for the project over the decades — several of whom, he noted, were no longer alive to see it realised. He also thanked successive Chief Ministers, from S.M. Krishna to incumbent Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with former Chief Ministers and district in-charge Ministers, for advancing the project.

MLAs K. Veerendra Pappi (Chitradurga), M. Chandranna (Holalkere), T.B. Jayachandra (Sira, and a former Minister), G.H. Srinivas (Tarikere) and B.G. Govindappa (Hosadurga) were among those present, along with other elected representatives and officials.

How the water travels

Under the project, 17.4 TMC of water is lifted from the Tunga river into the Bhadra reservoir, and a further 12.5 TMC is drawn from the reservoir itself — together making up the 29.9 TMC that is lifted to the tunnel near Ajjampura. From there, the water is distributed through the Chitradurga Branch Canal and the Tumakuru Branch Canal.

3 TMCTrial release under way
29.9 TMCLifted to the Ajjampura tunnel
367Tanks to be filled
2.25 lakh haDrip irrigation target

Why only 3 TMC for now

The full vision — 367 tanks filled and drip irrigation across 2.25 lakh hectares — is not yet ready. Since the drip irrigation infrastructure and the tank-filling works are still incomplete, the release has been restricted to 3 TMC on a trial basis.

Mr. Raghumurthy said the arrangement would become permanent once the pending works were finished, and appealed to the public to cooperate without creating confusion until then. For a district that has waited generations, Sunday's first flow was a sign that the long wait is finally nearing its end.