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Dams in North Karnataka full, flood alert sounded!

Three gates of Karanja Dam have been opened following heavy rains in the past few days.

KALABURAGI: Thanks to copious rains in the Hyderabad Karnataka region and also in the upper catchment areas, all major and minor reservoirs are full to the brim.

With the heavy inflow of water, the irrigation authorities have decided to open the gates of major reservoirs such as Karanja in Bidar, Bennethora and Gandorinala in Kalaburagi districts. A flood alert has been sounded in the lower areas following the opening of gates since Saturday afternoon.

According to Jagannath Halinge, Chief Engineer of Kaveri Niravari Nigam Limited, three gates of Karanja reservoir have been opened since Saturday afternoon following heavy rains in the last few days. “As there is a heavy inflow of water, which has started entering Kheniranjol village, we have opened three gates. Around 3,000 cusec of water is being released out”, Mr Halinge added.

It was said that the water was released from the Karanja, which has the capacity to store 6.9 TMC of water, after six years. The last time water was released from the reservoir was in 2010. In Kalaburagi district, following release of 5,000 cusec water from Gandorinala reservoir, traffic has been stopped on the Mahagao bridge due to inundation.

Similarly from Bennethora reservoir, 3500 cusec of water is being released and 4800 cusec from Mullamari reservoir since Saturday afternoon. The revenue authorities have sounded an alert among people in the low lying areas in view of the heavy discharge of water. But scarcity of water in Tungabhadra dam has left the farmers of Raichur district a worried lot. Besides Ballari and Koppal districts, Raichur district is mainly dependendent upon Tungabhadra water for irrigation as well as drinking water supply. But due to low storage in the dam, owing to deficient rains in the catchment areas, the Irrigation Consultative Committee has decided to introduce “off and on system”, under which the canals will remain closed for 10 days and open for 15 days to manage the limited available water.

Perhaps for the first time in the history of Tungabhadra dam, there are apprehensions that that the dam would not be able to supply water for even one kharif crop. Going by previous records, the dam has always had water every year, except for around eight to nine years, and supplied water for two-three crops.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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