Futuristic plan to save KRS from potential harm

A committee will prepare futuristic plan to restrict activities within 20-km radius of Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) at the earliest to ensure the safety of the 80-year-old dam, the lifeline of old Mysore districts.

Mandya Deputy Commissioner Manjushree N said she has recommended the Water Resources Department to set up the committee. “We have already banned mining activity around the dam. The committee will chalk out a comprehensive plan to widen the safety measure to restrict any activity which has the potential to damage the dam structure,” she told DH.

Principal secretary of the Water Resources Department Rakesh Singh could not be reached. The Mandya district administration’s move comes following a recommendation by Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNMDC).

KSNMDC Director Srinivasa Reddy said the suggestion was a precautionary measure to ensure that one of the oldest dams in the country remains safe.

“The structure has been built to withstand an earthquake of 6 magnitude on Richter Scale. However, the dam is getting older. So, precautions must be taken to ensure its safety,” he said.

The Hebbal Industrial area has spread its wings within the 7-km radius of the dam. Asked about the possible harms caused by development activities in the nearby industrial area in the future.

Reddy said, “As of now, there was no threat from such activities. But we have told the authorities that any activity that causes seismic changes have to be restricted beyond 15 to 20 km,” he said.

The Mandya district administration has already banned mining within 20-km radius of the dam, and has written to Myusuru deputy commissioner to issue a similar order. However, the measures suggested by the state natural disaster monitoring centre go much further.

‘Regulate activities’

Starting with regular inspection of the dam by the authorities and immediate rectification of civil-related damages, the disaster monitoring centre has recommended developing a futuristic plan to restrict activities.

The dam safety committee need to inspect /survey the area within the radial distance of 15-20 km and propose a plan to regulate activities which have the potential to harm the dam structure in future.

The recommendation has come even as officials are not still clear about the cause of the loud sounds reported on September 25, which created confusion among locals in the area.

While indicating that the blasting activity in the stone quarries in the vicinity, including Bebi Betta, might have caused the loud thud, the report says they can also be attributed to hydrological phenomena.