Lakhs of farmers in the command location of the Tungabhadra tank have actually been required to pass up the 2nd crop this year, not due to the fact that of natural dry spell, however since of malfunctioning crest gates and inactiveness by the federal government of Karnataka.
Crest Gates 11, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27 and 28 have actually been jammed, requiring authorities to limit the tank’s storage to around 80 tmcft (at 1,626.06 feet), versus its complete capability of 105.788 tmcft at Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 1,633 feet, to decrease pressure on evictions.
Minor Irrigation Minister N.S. Boseraju, in the just recently concluded Legislative Council session, validated the condition of evictions. Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, speaking in the Legislative Assembly, unconditionally mentioned that farmers in the Tungabhadra command would not get water for the 2nd crop this year.
Outraged by the federal government’s stand, farmers from Raichur, Koppal and Ballari staged a presentation outside Tungabhadra Command Area Development Authority workplace in Munirabad near the dam, implicating both the Union and State federal governments of ‘sleepiness and carelessness’ in changing defective gates.
“This is not a natural dry spell however a government-created one. In 2024, when Crest Gate 19 was gotten rid of, specialists plainly recommended changing all 33 gates, which have actually not been revamped given that they were set up 70 years earlier. The authorities had one complete year, however not did anything. Both Union and State federal governments are least worried about individuals’s predicament,” stated Chamarasa Malipatil, senior farmers’ leader from Raichur and honorary president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), who led the agitation.
According to Mr. Malipatil, around 8 lakh acres in Koppal, Raichur and Ballari are totally depending on Tungabhadra waters, and non-availability of watering will impact lakhs of individuals. “The dam waters around 14 lakh acres in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. If water is rejected for the 2nd crop, it is not simply farmers however likewise labourers, tractor and harvester operators, and rice mill employees who will suffer,” he stated.
The Crest Gate 19 episode
On August 10, 2024, Crest Gate 19 of the Tungabhadra tank was removed when the dam was complete, requiring engineers to launch water through the other gates to alleviate pressure. A group led by hydro-mechanical engineer N. Kannaiah Naidu handled to set up a momentary five-element stop-log gate made at Hosalli in Koppal district. It managed the outflow, the tank had actually currently lost around 36 tmcft in a week, with levels plunging from complete capability to 70 tmcft. Subsequent inflows restored storage and allowed growing of the 2nd crop in 2015.
Specialists had actually then worried on the immediate requirement to change all 33 gates, provided the tank’s age and absence of upgrading. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who checked out the dam throughout the crisis, ensured assistance for modernisation however advised that the Tungabhadra Board, headed by a Union Government appointee and consisting of members from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, bears main obligation.
No thorough replacement has actually started.
Mr. Boseraju just recently confessed that just one brand-new crest gate, weighing 50 tonnes, is all set and will be set up in location of Gate No. 19 after the monsoon.
The silt obstacle
Build-up of a big quantity of silt on the dam bed, considerably minimizing the tank’s storage capability, is another major concern that has actually been weeping for attention for a number of years.
Created to hold 133 tmcft at FRL of 1,633 feet, it can now save just about 105.788 tmcft– almost 27 tmcft less than its initial style. This shrinking limitations irrigation capacity, weakens flood control, and raises issues about dam security.
A long-pending proposition to develop a balancing tank near Navale in Koppal district to balance out the silt loss has actually stayed on paper, with the getting involved States not able to reach an agreement on the task.
Today, with malfunctioning crest gates, lowered storage and main indifference, that lifeline has actually been interrupted. Farmers in the command location state they feel deserted at the peak of the farming season.
A task with a long tradition
The Tungabhadra Project, very first developed by Sir Arthur Cotton in 1860 to take on starvation in Rayalaseema, came true in the 1940s. The structure stone was laid in 1945, however substantial development came just in 1949 after hold-ups due to technical disputes and political instability.
By 1953, the masonry was total, enabling storage and watering. The Tungabhadra Board was made up in the very same year to manage conclusion and circulation.
After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the job ended up being a joint endeavor of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and later on of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.