The Tungabhadra Reservoir is nearing full capacity, with water being released into the river through 10 gates for the first time on Wednesday following the repair of the 19th gate. The reservoir currently holds 101 TMC of water out of its 105 TMC capacity, causing the dam to overflow. This development has brought relief to local farmers.
In Hospet (Vijayanagar), the Tungabhadra Reservoir is almost at its full level, and water is now being discharged into the river through 10 gates as of Wednesday. The Tungabhadra Board had issued a warning the previous day, advising that 5,000 to 50,000 cusecs of water would be released starting September 4 after 9 a.m. The authorities have initiated water release in response to the rising inflow.
Previously, a significant amount of water was lost due to damage to the 19th gate, which had caused concern among farmers. However, recent rains in the mountain regions have increased water flow in the Bhadra, Tunga, and Varada rivers, leading to a substantial rise in the reservoir’s levels. Currently, 101 TMC of water is stored, up from 30 TMC accumulated over the past 15 days, and the dam is now overflowing.
A temporary stop log gate was installed at the 19th gate by a team led by N. Kannaiah Naidu to prevent further water loss. Despite initial concerns that 90 TMC would be sufficient, the rainfall has exceeded expectations, and the additional water has eased farmers’ worries.
Farmers in the Vijayanagara, Koppala, Bellary, Raichur, Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Mehboob Nagar in Telangana are now optimistic about receiving enough water for their second crop.