Two bridges behind flooding of Hampi monuments

Heritage in peril

A technical report submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stated that two unscientific bridges built downstream of the left bank canal of Tungabhadra (TB) dam are the cause of the flooding of the monuments in Hampi, with the number of inundations set to increase in the coming years as the silt further blocks the flow of water.

The monuments in Hampi received World Heritage Site recognition in 1986.

Sources in the government said that Sudhir Sajjan, technical assistant to the managing director at the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited, sent the Water Resources Department as well as the ASI a technical assessment of the “actual reasons” behind the inundation of monuments.

Assessing the terrain, the report noted the river has a sudden drop in Hampi and meets a natural constricted section 5 km away at Talwar Ghatta. The monuments built between the 13th and 16th centuries are located 15 metres above the river and enjoyed safety for centuries.

The report said the Kampli bridge, built in the 1960s, caused the first known flooding of Hampi ruins in 1992. While the bridge didn’t affect the water flow in the initial years, the smaller vents of the structure led to the accumulation of silt and weed upstream over the years. Though the bridge was 15 km away, it created a backwater effect at the constricted section.

“The monuments were inundated in the above-impounded water for the first time during 1992 when there was a discharge of about 3.69 lakh cusecs in the river. It rose to 15m near Hampi, when it was just about 12m near the Kampli bridge,” the report said, adding that the blockage of water would not have occurred if the bridge had wider spans and larger vents.

Second bridge

In September 2017, a 487.5-metre bridge between Kadebagilu and Bukkasagara, further upstream from Kampli, was inaugurated.

“The bridge is not aligned at right angle to the direction of the river. As a result, the flow is obstructed. Additionally, it is not built for the entire width of the river (measuring) about 1 km during the flood, but is forced to discharge through a length of only about 500 metres at its centre. As a result, the bridge is acting like a river sluice rather than facilitating free discharge,” the report said.

The water that is held back by the bridge is impounded and has put Hampi monuments in danger. Hampi is now being inundated multiple times a year even when the TB dam discharges just above 1 lakh cusecs of water.

In fact, the government’s move to build a hanging bridge to connect Hampi-Anegundi had prompted the Unesco to put Hampi on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1999. Later, it had expressed concern over the collapse of the under-construction bridge in January 2009. The collapse killed seven people and left a trail of debris.

Nihil Das, Superintending Archaeologist at ASI’s Hampi Circle, said the report has raised key issues that need to be studied. “However, this matter falls within the domain of the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority. We have forwarded the matter to the officials concerned,” he said.

Kampli MLA J N Ganesh said the government has failed to carry out important works. “The government has been wasting money on unnecessary work. The Kampli bridge is 56-years-old. A detailed project report for a Rs 100-crore bridge has been planned. The government is not releasing funds despite budget approval,” he said.