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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}

'''Varahi lift irrigation project''' is an irrigation project across [[Varahi River]] near [[Siddapura, Udupi|Siddapura]] village, [[Udupi district]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]].

==Initiation==
The Varahi project was approved by Government of Karnataka in 1979 with an initial project cost of Rs.9.43 crores. Originally planned as a power generation project, but as the original plan involved submerging of 1,019 acres of forest land, it was changed to lift irrigation project in 2001 as the latter involved submerging of only 129.60 forest land.<ref name=ganesh1>{{cite news|last=Prabhu|first=Ganesh|title=Clearance hastens work on irrigation project|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/29/stories/2005042914540300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304164011/http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/29/stories/2005042914540300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2006|accessdate=26 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=29 April 2005}}</ref> The irrigation project, on completion, is designed to irrigated 38,800 acres of land of which 15,702 acres are in [[Kundapura]] and [[Udupi]] taluks of Karnataka.<ref name=area>{{cite news|title=Karnataka Neeravari Nigam to implement Varahi project|url=http://www.hindu.com/2003/06/14/stories/2003061401950400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184005/http://www.hindu.com/2003/06/14/stories/2003061401950400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 October 2013|accessdate=26 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=14 June 2003}}</ref>

===Delay and cost escalation===

Over the years, the project cost increased substantially and in first 25 years a sum of Rs.37 crores were spent, but the work was still under progress as on April 2005.<ref name=ganesh1/> After three decades of launching the scheme, the project cost of the scheme escalated to more than Rs.650 crores of which about Rs.375 crores was spent up to 2011 and work was still under progress.<ref name=probe>{{cite news|title=SIT should probe Varahi project: Parameshwara|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/sit-should-probe-varahi-project-parameshwara/article2547570.ece|accessdate=26 July 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=18 October 2011}}</ref> The official reasons given in 2011 by Minister of Water resources, for undue delay in completion of the project were, "hurdles from Revenue Department, changes in design, land acquisition, no objection from Forest Department and untimely rain".<ref name=reason>{{cite news|title=Varahi project to be completed by 2013|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/varahi-project-to-be-completed-by-2013/article2696779.ece|accessdate=26 July 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=8 December 2011}}</ref>

==Hope for sugarcane growers==
In 2004, the lift irrigation project was brought under the preview of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam and once completed, it is expected to revive the defunct [[Brahmavar Cooperative Sugar Factory]]<ref name=probe/> located in the same district.<ref name=ganesh1/> In 2011, a sum of Rs.10 crores was provided to revive the Sugar factory.<ref name=probe/>

==Controversies==
The undue delay in completion of project has given scope to doubts about the misappropriation of government funds and certain public have filed writ petition in High court of Karnataka demanding for a [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] investigation.<ref name=cbi>{{cite news|title=Writ petition demanding CBI probe into Varahi project filed|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/writ-petition-demanding-cbi-probe-into-varahi-project-filed/article2610786.ece|accessdate=26 July 2013|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> In 2011, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president demanded Special Investigation Team probe as more than Rs.200 crores was sanctioned to the project within a span of previous three years by previous Government. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the project on 04/05/2015, but only for two days the water has flown in the channels. The people also suspect that this is one of the biggest scam in the name of water irrigation and probe should be done to punish the people involved in this scam. Although MLC Pratap Chandra Shetty is trying get attention about the varahi scams in Legislative Council, local MLA Haladi Srinivasa Shetty is showing no interest in this.<ref name=probe/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Irrigation in India]]
[[Category:Geography of Udupi district]]
[[Category:Agriculture in Karnataka]]

Varahi lift irrigation project - Revision history

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