Water trickling down the temporary gate (stop log) installed in place of crest gate 19 of Tungabhadra dam, on Sunday.
Credit: DH Photo/K Lava
The water level in Tungabhadra reservoir has seen a steady increase a day after the temporary gate was installed to fix the breach.
More than 36 tmcft of water was lost due to continuous and unregulated outflow after the crest gate number 19 washed away following the chain link snap on the night of August 11.
However, engineers and workers from three firms - Jindal, Hindustan Engineering & Narayan Engineering - led by hydro-mechanical engineer Kannaiah Naidu managed to fix five elements of a temporary stoplog gate in less than a week, amid heavy outflow. The team saved at least 30 tmcft of water with its swift action.
"There is a minor leak from the elements of the stoplog gate which are stacked upon one another. Since it's a temporary gate, it is bound to happen. We will plug the leak or minimise it with rubber bush," TB dam Board sources told DH.
It is said, about 100 cusec of water is trickling down the gaps in temporary gate (spillway 19). But there is no official confirmation on it from the Board.
On Sunday, the dam had an inflow of over 28,000 cusec. Copious inflows will continue since the catchment areas are experiencing intermittent rains. The outflow in the day was 10,692 cusec, mostly released to left bank, right bank and Vijayanagar canals.
"The storage level at the dam, as on Aug 18, is 72.79 tmcft as against the maximum level of 105.78 tmcft. The reservoir has been recording 25,000 cusec-plus inflow and if it continues for next two weeks, the level will reach 90 tmcft, enough to provide water for kharif crop and meet drinking water needs of basin districts in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh," according to Naidu.
Cash prize
On Sunday, Kampli MLA Ganesh gave away the cash prize of Rs 50,000 each for 20 technicians and workers for successfully installing a temporary gate. Vijayanagar district Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan had announced the prize on Saturday.