Varahi lift irrigation project
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Varahi lift irrigation project is an irrigation project across Varahi River near Siddapura village, Udupi district, Karnataka, India.
Delay and cost escalation
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.[1] 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.[2]
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 in April 2005.[1] 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.[3] 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".[4]