In a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka government has approved the implementation of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) Phase-3, one of the state’s largest irrigation initiatives. 

Estimated at Rs 70,000 crore, the project involves raising the Almatti dam height from 519.6 to 524.256 mtrs., increasing its storage capacity by 100 tmcft and enabling irrigation across 5.94 lakh hectares. The project will require 1,33,867 acres, including 75,563 acres which will submerge, 51,837 acres for canals, and 6,469 acres for rehabilitation. 

Twenty villages and 11 Bagalkot town wards are expected to be affected.“We are only going to utilise the excess water flowing into the sea,” Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, expressing confidence in regional cooperation. 

Calling the decision "historic," CM Siddaramaiah urged the Union government to issue the Gazette notification for the Krishna Tribunal-2 award, pending for 12 years.