Tungabhadra Dam Ready for Full Storage
The Ahmedabad-based hardware tools and machinery project company undertook the replacement of all crest gates at an estimated cost of Rs 52 crore.
Anantapur: The Tungabhadra Dam is ready to store water up to its full capacity of 105tmc-ft this season following the successful installation and trial run of all the 33 crest gates.
The dam’s superintendent engineer Narayana Naik said the dry-condition trial run of all gates was successful and the newly installed crest gates were functioning properly. Chains were fitted to 18 gates and the remaining work would be completed within a week.
“The trial run of all 33 gates was successful under dry-load conditions, assessing the strength of the gates to function when water reaches the reservoir from the upstream regions of the Western Ghats,” he said.
Naik expressed confidence that the reservoir would be able to store its full capacity of 105tmc-ft, helping meet the irrigation and drinking water requirements in Karnataka, the Rayalaseema region of AP and parts of Telangana.
The completion of the gate replacement works assumes significance as several parts of Rayalaseema depend on Tungabhadra waters for their drinking and irrigation needs. Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Kurnool and parts of YSR Kadapa districts receive water through the high-level main canal and low-level canals of the reservoir.
Tungabhadra water is also supplied through dedicated pipeline projects, including the Neelakantapuram Srirami Reddy project, the Sri Sathya Sai project and the Anantapur municipal corporation schemes, besides serving several municipalities and urban centres through the Penna Ahobilam balancing reservoir at Kudair mandal in Anantapur district.
Last year, a crest gate of the reservoir was washed away, limiting water storage to 68tmc-ft against the full capacity of 105tmc-ft and affecting the water availability in Karnataka and Rayalaseema.
Rayadurg MLA and government whip Kalava Srinivasulu praised the engineers, experts and the executing agency for completing the gate replacement works on schedule.
The Ahmedabad-based hardware tools and machinery project company undertook the replacement of all crest gates at an estimated cost of Rs 52 crore.
