Udayavani Reality Check: 7 dams at Risk!

Team Udayavani, Aug 13, 2024, 8:59 AM IST

Against the backdrop of the failure of a crest gate of the Pampa Sagara Dam (Tungabhadra Dam), Udayavani conducted a reality check to assess the condition of other major dams in Karnataka. Some dams are leaking, while others have not had their crest gates maintained.

No Office for the Chief Engineer in Kalaburagi!

In the Kalaburagi division, the Chief Engineer of the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam, responsible for managing irrigation projects and reservoirs, has no office! The court ordered the confiscation of the KNNL office to compensate farmers, and the office furniture has been taken away. As a result, the Chief Engineer has no office. Without an office, how can work be done?

Bhadra Reservoir, Shivamogga District

Age: 60 Years

The Bhadra Reservoir, the lifeline of central Karnataka, has faced several issues. In June last year, the reservoir’s sluice gate failed, causing a massive loss of water. A temporary repair was done after 48 hours of continuous effort.

Despite maintenance work from 2017 to 2019, the river bed has eroded. The left bank canal leaks over 150 cusecs of water daily, according to sources.

Maintenance is challenging as the canal gates are 60 feet deep, making it accessible only when the water is drained, experts say.

Kabini Reservoir, Mysuru District

Age: 50 Years

Due to a lack of funds, maintenance work on the Kabini Reservoir has been halted, leading to fears that the reservoir may deteriorate. Water leakage has been observed in some parts of the dam, and a plan to prevent the cracks and reinforce the reservoir with pointing has been submitted to the government in 2020-21, estimating a cost of Rs 92 crores.

Four years have passed since the proposal was submitted, but not a single rupee has been released. The sluice wall of the left bank is deteriorating, and there are reports that the sluice walls used to release water into the river are also in poor condition.

Narayanapura Dam (Basava Sagara), Yadgir District

Age: 42 Years

On October 6, 2005, the 5th crest gate of the Narayanapura / Basava Sagar Reservoir broke off. The government responded quickly by repairing and installing a new gate.

Built across the Krishna River, the dam has 30 crest gates, and maintenance should be carried out every year. However, local residents claim that no work has been done for the past one and a half years.

Krishna Raja Sagar, Mandya District

Age: 93 Years

Concerns about the safety of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir, the lifeline of South Karnataka, have been raised for some time. There are discussions about cracks appearing in the reservoir due to quarrying around the dam.

Moreover, there is opposition to conducting trial blasts in the area. The construction of an amusement park by the government is also causing concern about the reservoir’s safety.

There is no stop-lock gate system to prevent flooding, and the conversion of the gates to automatic operation is in progress.

Sonna Barrage, Kalaburagi District

Age: 14 Years

The Sonna Barrage, located near Deval Ganagapur in Kalaburagi district, across the Bhima River, does not have hydraulic gates. The gates are manually operated, leading to uncontrolled water loss.

There have been instances where the gates were lifted to facilitate sand extraction from the river.

Despite discussions in the state Assembly, the issue of water leakage and poor construction in the Lower Mullamari Irrigation Project Reservoir remains unresolved. The Chandrampalli Reservoir also continues to leak water.

Singatalur Barrage, Gadag District

Age: 12 Years

The Singatalur Huligudda Lift Irrigation Project, built across the Tungabhadra River near Hammigi in Mundargi Taluk, is also facing leakage issues.

The barrage, which irrigates 1.7 lakh acres of land in Koppal, Vijayanagar, and Gadag districts, has 26 crest gates, with leaks detected in 13 of them. Currently, water is being released through 5 gates.

Vani Vilasa Sagara, Chitradurga District

Age: 117 Years

Vani Vilasa Sagara, the first reservoir in the state, was built 117 years ago in Chitradurga district. Constructed with stone and lime mortar, this dam lacks a gate system. Instead, it has a sluice system.

While other reservoirs release water through crest gates, this one uses a sluice system similar to lakes, posing significant risks.