Doubts are growing over whether the Tungabhadra Dam’s crust gate installation will happen this summer. It is being said that the replacement of the Tungabhadra Reservoir’s crest gates, vital for Kalyana Karnataka, may not take place as planned.
After the 19th crust gate washed away, experts had recommended an immediate overhaul of all gates. But even a year later, the replacements remain incomplete. Of the 32 gates, only 16 have been readied so far, and the work is moving at a sluggish pace.
The Tungabhadra reservoir supports eight districts across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including Koppal, Vijayanagar, Ballari, and Raichur in Kalyana Karnataka. Farmers cultivate paddy on about 16 lakh acres using this water, and their anxiety is now rising. Despite a year and a half since the 19th gate collapsed, there is still no permanent solution.
The contract for new gate fabrication was awarded to Ahmedabad-based Hardware Tools and Machinery Pvt. Ltd. The government sanctioned ₹53 crore for replacing all 32 gates, but the cost fell to ₹36 crore after the company quoted a lower bid. With only half the gates completed, farmers in the Tungabhadra basin fear they may not receive water for the next year’s second crop.
The reservoir currently holds 70 TMC of water. For the installation process, storage must be reduced to 40 TMC, meaning another 30 TMC must be released. Whether the gates can be fitted even after draining this much water is uncertain. Completing the remaining 16 gates within six months also appears impossible. Farmers have slammed the government for what they describe as clear negligence.