Repaired a year ago, KRS develops cracks again?

Amidst the rain fury across Kodagu and Malnad districts, the statement by the Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar that the KRS has developed minor cracks has left many shocked. Surprisingly, the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir had undergone a major rejig about a year ago.

Adopting some of the best engineering practices to repair and renovate the dam, the state government had won the prestigious World Bank award of Excellence in Rehabilitation Work(s) Civil-Spring 2017. But the minister’s statement over the condition of the dam within a year since repair has raised questions over the quality of work. The renovation and repair works at the KRS dam began in July 2016 and soon after the work was completed in May 2017, at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore.

Under the repair and renovation project, holes on the 100-year-old dam were identified by carrying out a survey using advanced civil engineering technology. Further, the identified holes and cracks were filled using crystalline technology through Fibre Short Crate and subsequently sealed with the grating process, according to the officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. This apart, cavity filling, grouting of the dam structure were also taken up.

While the World Bank funded 90% of the project cost, the remaining was borne by the state government. The Central Water Commission had approved the repair work following recommendations by the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).