The Supreme Court today did not allow a plea of Haryana to "lift' water from the Bhakra main line (BML)canal and pump it into the Hansi-Butana. The stay on puncturing the BML to connect the Hansi-Butana canal will continue and the matter will be now heard on July 18. Notably Haryana had submitted a proposal in the apex court to lift 500 cusecs of water through pumping and send it down the Hansi-Butana canal. This is a significant move as by-elections are due in Haryana on May 22.

Nearly thirty years after Goa made the first payment towards Tillari project, engineers in Maharashtra say that it is little more than a year away from completion even as the cost has jumped to Rs 1390 crore from the first estimate of Rs 45 crore in 1978-79. The joint venture of Maharashtra and Goa is scheduled to cater to the needs of irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply and power generation, officials told media persons who were on a tour to Konalkatta on Friday.

Cauvery delta farmers have urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to release Mettur water for irrigation on June 1, instead of the usual June 12. In a representation, vice-president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers' Welfare Association K.V. Kannan said in view of comfortable storage position, the government could consider the request. If water were released on June 1, farmers could harvest bumper kuruvai crop well ahead of the northeast monsoon.

A continuing agitation by farmers over diversion of water from the Hirakud reservoir to industrial units is threatening to spoil the Orissa government's calculations for assembly elections next year.

The success of modernization of irrigation is reflected solely on the creation of additional facilities covering more areas, optimum use of water, changing of crop pattern and change in outlook of cultivators with a motive for commercial production. The Central Government recently sanctioned an amount of Rs 60.27 crore under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme for modernization of the Jamuna irrigation project in Nagaon district, which is one of the most viable irrigation projects of Asom.