In Karnataka canal irrigation contributes 41.3 percent of the net irrigated area. Most of these canals have been taken out from the Krishna and Kaveri rivers. Main canals are as follows:

1. Ghataprabha Project Canals-This project involves three stages leading to the construction of dams across the Ghataprabha river at Dhupdal and Hidkal, 114 krri long canal along the east side, 197 km long canal along the west side and creation of irrigation facilities for 3.18 lakh hectares of agricul­tural land in Belgaum and Bijapur districts.

2. Tungabhadra Project Canals-under the project dams have been built across the Tungabhadra and Tung rivers to lay down canals which irrigate 4.97 lakh hectares of land in Bellary, Raichur, Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts.

3. Malprabha Project Canals-The canals taken out from the dam built across the Malprabha river irrigate about 2.13 lakh hectares of land in Belgaum, Dharward and Bijapur districts.

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4. Bhadra Project Canals-Bhadra project, on river Bhadra, irrigates about 1 lakh hectares of land in Shimoga district.

5. Upper Krishna Project Canals-under these project two dams have been constructed over the Krishna River at Almatti and Siddpur (Bijapur dis­trict). Canals taken out from these dams (length 392 km) will produce an irrigation potential of 4.25 lakh hectares.

6. Krishnaraja Sagara Canals-The Visveswaraya Canal, taken off from the Kaveri (Krishnaraja Sagara Dam) irrigates about 50,000 hectares of land in Mandya and Mysore districts.