Effort to halt water flow at Tungabhadra Dam set to begin today

Koppala: Experts at the Tungabhadra Reservoir are gearing up for the challenging task of installing a temporary gate to halt the water flow from the broken 19th crest gate. The work is set to begin on Wednesday.

For the past three days, dam experts have been stationed at the site. The responsibility to construct the new temporary gate was immediately handed over to Narayana Engineering Works and Hindustan Engineering Works the day after the gate broke.

The construction of five gates, each measuring 64 feet in width and 4 feet in height, is almost complete and is scheduled to be transported to the reservoir area on Wednesday.

To ensure the safety of the reservoir, two large cranes will be brought in from both the left and right sides of the 19th crest gate. Two massive iron pillars, resembling posts, will be installed on either side within the river section of the broken gate area.

The process of lowering the 10-ton gates into the water in alignment with these pillars will then begin. Before this, calculations will be done on-site to ensure that the gates can be securely lowered based on the current water storage level, water pressure, and the capacity to withstand that pressure.

Currently, around 35,000 cusecs of water is flowing into the river through the broken gate. The installation of the gates will be aimed at controlling this water flow.

Initially, one gate will be lowered into the water to observe the situation. Once the success of the first gate is confirmed, the second gate will be installed, followed by the remaining three. Experts have stated that this is a highly challenging task.

Silence at the Dam During Gate Installation

During the operation, only the expert team will be allowed access to the dam area. Dam expert Kannayya Naidu has informed Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi and the Tungabhadra Board to ensure that no one else enters the site. The entire dam area will remain silent during this time.

This is a temporary solution, and once the reservoir’s water level drops during the summer or when the water level goes below the crest gate, a new permanent gate will need to be constructed.