Karnataka Budget 2026: Navali Balancing Reservoir mentioned, but project remains on paper

Karnataka's 2026 Budget mentions the Navali Balancing Reservoir proposal, but tangible progress remains elusive.

The proposed balancing reservoir near Navali village in Koppal district was once again mentioned in the State Budget, continuing a familiar pattern in which the project figures in successive budget speeches without any concrete progress on the ground.

Presenting the Budget in the Legislative Assembly on March 6, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that alternative measures were being considered to address the loss of water storage capacity in the Tungabhadra reservoir caused by decades of silt accumulation. Among the options under consideration is the construction of a balancing reservoir near Navali in Koppal district.

The Budget stated that efforts would be intensified to implement a suitable alternative scheme in consultation with neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and with the concurrence of the Tungabhadra Board.

The project has been proposed as a long-term measure to compensate for the gradual loss of storage capacity in the Tungabhadra reservoir near Hosapete in Vijayanagara district. Over the decades, large quantities of silt have accumulated on the reservoir bed, substantially reducing the volume of water that can be stored for irrigation.

Estimates suggest that more than 30 tmcft of silt has accumulated in the reservoir over the past several decades, diminishing the storage capacity of the dam and affecting water availability in the command areas.

Farmers in the districts of Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Vijayanagara, which depend heavily on Tungabhadra waters for irrigation, have been demanding measures to address the problem, either by dredging the reservoir or by creating additional storage to offset the loss caused by silt accumulation.