Due to the severeness of the flood water the Gate number 19 of Tungabhadra Dam washes away leading to the flood threats downstream of koppala.
A sense of urgency gripped Koppal as one of the gates of the Tungabhadra Dam in Karnataka gave way late last night, sending shockwaves through the region. The gate, identified as the 19th crest gate, was damaged after a chain link snapped, leading to an uncontrolled outflow of water.
To manage the crisis, authorities swiftly opened all 33 crest gates of the dam, resulting in an outflow exceeding one lakh cusecs, with around 35,000 cusecs surging through the damaged gate alone. The dam, near full capacity due to recent heavy rains, is currently holding about 100 TMC of water.
Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, who was on the scene early Sunday, emphasised the need to reduce the dam’s water level by 20 feet—equivalent to lowering the reservoir from 100 TMC to around 60-65 TMC—before repairs can safely commence. “Water is flowing out of the crest gate with a lot of force,” Tangadagi noted, stressing the critical nature of the situation.
As a precaution, alerts were quickly issued to downstream villages in Bellary and Raichur districts to avert any potential disasters. This incident, the first of its kind since the dam was completed in 1953, has raised concerns among local communities. However, authorities reassured residents that there is currently no immediate danger, as the dam has sufficient capacity to handle the outflow of up to 2.35 lakh cusecs of water.
The dam’s officials have stated that they will gradually increase the outflow to allow for the necessary repair work, which is expected to be completed within a week. Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar is scheduled to visit the site later today to assess the situation firsthand.
In a statement, the dam’s secretary confirmed that all maintenance work had been completed in May 2024, and the gates had been checked and operated correctly. However, on the night of August 10th, during routine operations involving ten spillway gates, the 19th gate was unexpectedly washed away, leading to the current crisis.
As one of Karnataka’s four major dams with a capacity exceeding 100 TMC, the Tungabhadra Dam is crucial for the region. Yet, the accumulation of silt over the years has reduced its efficiency, prompting ongoing discussions about constructing a balancing reservoir to mitigate such issues in the future.
