Mysuru: The 126- km long Varuna canal is leaking at three spots, causing a loss of 10 to 15 cusecs of water a day, according to official sources.
In fact, the leak at one spot near Kesre on Naguvanahalli road here is nearly 100 meters wide, but it can be plugged along with the others only after water is fully released for the Kharif crop by January or February next year, say officials of the Varuna canal construction division.
As much as 600 cusecs of water is being released every day from the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir since August this year for the Kharif crop through the canal, which irrigates 40,000 acres in five taluks of Srirangpatna, Mysuru, Nanjangud, HD Kote and T Narsipur.
The detailed project report on the repairs, which estimates it will take Rs 3 crore to plug the leaks, has been approved by the state government and the tender too has been invited, but work will begin next year once the Kharif crop has received all the water it needs, say sources .
The canal, a dream the project of the late former Chief Minister, D. Devraj Urs, was built between 1987 and 2000.
