Dam Gate Issue: Siddaramaiah Assures No Crop Issues for Karnataka, AP, Telangana Farmers

Hosapte: In the wake of the recent incident where a spillway gate was washed away from its groove at the Tungabhadra Reservoir, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the dam on Tuesday to assess the situation.

Addressing reporters after the inspection and a briefing from officials, Siddaramaiah assured that farmers in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana would not face any issues with their first crop.

"There will be no problems for farmers who have sown crops on approximately 9 lakh hectares in Karnataka and around 3 lakh hectares in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Additionally, higher-than-normal rainfall is expected in the state starting from August 17," he said.

Currently, the inflow into the reservoir is averaging 25,500 cusecs, and efforts are underway to release between 1,25,000 and 1,40,000 cusecs of water.

To address the malfunction, a staff log gate will be designed and installed under the guidance of expert Kannaiah Naidu from Hyderabad.

"I have asked them to complete the work within the next 4-5 days, and they have assured me that it will be done within that time frame," Siddaramaiah stated.

Steps will be taken to install the 1.2-meter (4-foot) staff log gate by reducing the reservoir level to 1,625 feet to facilitate the installation.

"If it becomes impossible to install the gate at this level, the water level will be further lowered to 1,621 feet to accommodate the installation," the Chief Minister explained.

At an August 12 meeting of the Tungabhadra Board, it was estimated that at least five days would be required to install the temporary gate. The board also projected an inflow of up to 90 TMC into the reservoir over the coming months, with 39 TMC expected in August, 30 TMC in September, 16 TMC in October, and 4 TMC in November.

Currently, the reservoir's level stands at 1,629 feet, with a storage capacity of 90 TMC. So far, 25 TMC of water has been utilized.

Siddaramaiah clarified that this is the first time in 70 years that a gate chain has broken.

"According to experts, the gates and chains should be replaced every 50 years, and henceforth, the Tungabhadra Board and the respective governments will take necessary actions as per expert recommendations," he said.

When asked by the media who would be held responsible for such incidents, he said that there is a need for a thorough analysis to determine the cause of such incidents.

Replying to the media about the proposed Navale Dam across Tungabhadra, the CM said that the DPR (Detailed Project Report) has been prepared at a cost of ₹15,000 crore.

"This is an interstate project, and the work will commence once approval for the DPR is obtained," he said.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Tungabhadra Reservoir will fill up again, and he stated that he will return to offer the 'Bagina.'