The government has undertaken upgradation works in some of the reservoirs and canals in the state at the cost or Rs 1,200 crore, said the minister at the Karnataka State Water User’s Cooperative Associations Conference organised here by the state government.

“We are saving around 15 TMC of water because of the work done till now and when the work is completed we will be saving around 40 TMC of water. The state is spending around Rs 230 crore on maintenance and operation of the reservoirs in the state, while it is collecting Rs 18 crore in the form of taxes,” he said.

“The co-operatives should focus on collecting the taxes. The government will give aid in proportion to the taxes collected by the co-operative associations,” clarified the minister.

“Water is precious and if it is used judiciously it will lead to all-round prosperity. The demand for water is increasing by the day and the laws that govern the water usage are ambiguous.

They should be rectified to regulate the use of water,” Bommai said.

Minor Irrigation Minister Govinda M Karajola said that water is not properly regulated in the canals even after nine years of handing over their regulation to the co-operatives. Karajola said that water does not reach the farmers at the end of the canals, adding that this should be set right.

A Soil Health Card to measure the use of water in the fields was also released on the occasion.