Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday assured the Agriculture Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana about the restoration work of the Tungabhadra Dam gate.
“Our farmers are no different than your states’ farmers. We will take measures to ensure that they are not troubled in the wake of damage to the Tungabhadra Dam gate,” the Chief Minister told media persons in the presence of Agriculture Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
He also instructed the officials to expedite the repair work of the Tungabhadra Dam gate at the earliest.
“Water from the Tungabhadra Dam was previously released through the gates. However, the 19th gate of the dam, which prevents water flow, has been damaged,” the Chief Minister said.
He also expressed confidence that the Tungabhadra Dam will fill up again, saying that he will personally come to offer worship once the dam is full.
“Tungabhadra Dam management falls under the Tungabhadra Dam Board, which includes members appointed by the Union government as well as representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. The dam’s construction began in 1948 and was completed in 1953 while the water was being released in 1954. No gate chain has ever broken in the 70-year-old dam until now,” the Chief Minister said.
The dam currently holds 115 TMC of water while 25 TMC has already been released to farmers.
Farmers require 90 TMC for their initial crops and this quantity is available in the dam. However, due to the damage to the 19th gate, 35,000 cusecs of water were lost.
“Repairs cannot proceed without releasing the water from the dam. The water level will be reduced, leaving 64 TMC remaining. The repair of the gate will take a minimum of four to five days. Hindustan Engineering and Narayana Engineering are carrying out the repair work under expert advice,” the Chief Minister said.
He said that farmers in Karnataka, who have cultivated crops on about 9 lakh hectares, and those in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, who have cultivated on about three lakh hectares will face no problems, adding that heavy rainfall is expected in the state from August 17.
On the dam’s maintenance issues, the Chief Minister said that while there were problems with the canals in 2019, there were no issues with the dam gates.
“The current gate chain breakage is a first in the last 70 years,” the Chief Minister said.
Experts say that the gates and chains should be replaced every 50 years.
“Tungabhadra Board and relevant governments will take appropriate action in the future,” the Chief Minister said.
In response to media inquiries about who should be held responsible for such incidents, the Chief Minister said that the Tungabhadra Board, appointed by the Union government and comprising members from the Central Water Commission and the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, exists to address such issues.
He said that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Navali Dam, which costs Rs 15,000 crore, has been prepared.
“This is an inter-state project, and work will commence after the DPR is approved,” the Chief Minister said.