Bengaluru, May 4: Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Irrigation, D.K. Shivakumar, announced on Sunday that the replacement of 33 crest gates at the Tungabhadra Dam is nearly complete. He instructed officials to prepare for the inauguration on May 15.
After inspecting the installation of the new gates, Shivakumar stated, “All 33 new gates have been installed, and only minor work remains. We aim to finish this by May 7 and prepare for the inauguration on May 15.”
He expressed his joy, saying, “Today is a significant day. The livelihoods of 750,000 farmers have been secured. Those who criticized us have received their answer today. The results of our decisions are evident. Farmers from four districts will be invited to the event. Currently, the dam holds 10.50 TMC of water. If it rains, we can reach 44 TMC in two months. So far, ₹540 million has been spent, shared between both states at a ratio of 64:34.”
Shivakumar emphasized that the dam administration has been granted autonomy to ensure no interference. “The installation of these 33 gates serves as a model for the country. The entire nation has been watching this project. When the 19th crest gate was damaged, we consulted experts and followed their guidance,” he added.
He also mentioned that ₹3 billion has been allocated for the safety of other projects. “Although the chains were reported to be correct, I instructed their replacement. This task has been assigned to an organization from Chennai. The first batch of chains will arrive soon. Farmers and the public are pleased with this work. These gates are expected to function smoothly for the next 50 years.”
He acknowledged the farmers’ understanding, stating, “They sacrificed one of their crops for this project. I salute their cooperation. Those who engage in political criticism do so out of habit, as they have never undertaken such work. This project has silenced our critics.”
Regarding the Nalwadi balancing reservoir and silt removal, he noted, “The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is not providing us with time on this issue. We have proposals to pump water and store it elsewhere. The Andhra CM has not come forward for board-level discussions. They are currently receiving ample water, so they are not interested. Any decisions will be made at the board level.”
On the topic of silt removal based on the Chinese model, he remarked, “Removing silt and relocating it is not an easy task. It must be contracted to private companies, which will only proceed if it is profitable. We will need to issue a global tender for the disposal of the removed silt.”
When asked about increasing the dam’s height, he replied, “We are not addressing this issue. We are looking for ways to conserve water within the existing system.”
Concerning the 86,000 pending files in the state, he stated, “The Chief Minister has discussed this in the cabinet and has instructed that all files be resolved promptly.”
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