Installation of crest gates at Tungabhadra Dam: Expert committee visits reservoir

Hosapete (Vijayanagara district): The Standing Expert Advisory Committee constituted by the Tunganbhada Board, comprising members from central government and the three riparian states of the river, on Tuesday visited the Tungabhadra (TB) Dam in Hosapete to assess the situation vis-à-vis the installation of new crest gates at the reservoir.

The expert committee has been entrusted the responsibility for overseeing installation of new crest gates at the dam. The panel is tackling a number of issues, including finalising the number of crest gates to be installed before the onset of rainy season, TB Dam section officer Raghavendra told DH. “Once the committee decides on number of crest gates to be installed, it will decide on how to proceed further,” he added.

A makeshift gate has already been installed at crest gate number 19, which is likely to make way for a permanent structure. Work on installation of new structures at other gates is being undertaken.

A team from National Dam Safety Authority of India visited the dam on Dec 8 last year, followed by a visit from a five-member team from Structural Engineering Research Institute on December 21. The panel, headed by former chief engineer of Central Water Board R K Shivarajan, comprises former BHPC managing engineer S P Mukherjee, head of Karnataka Technical Sub-Committee S P Siddagangappa, among others.