Telugu Desam Party MLA urges Tungabhadra Dam officials to complete gate works on schedule

Government Whip and Rayadurg MLA Kaluva Srinivasulu has urged Tungabhadra Dam authorities to complete the installation of new gates within the stipulated time to safeguard irrigation and drinking water needs in both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

On the night of 10 August last year, the 19th gate of the dam was washed away after a chain link snapped, causing the uncontrolled release of about 35,000 cusecs of water downstream. As a precaution, irrigation authorities in Andhra Pradesh opened the gates of the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam projects to prevent flooding.

Retired irrigation engineer Kannaiah Naidu and his team laboured for days to install stop log gates and stem the uncontrolled flow. The incident raised concerns about the safety of the remaining gates, and the Central Water Commission later recommended their replacement.

The Tungabhadra Board awarded the works to a Gujarat-based company, which has so far manufactured six of the 33 gates required.

Inspecting the gates at the project’s maintenance yard on Saturday, Mr. Srinivasulu called on officials to expedite the works and, if possible, finish them ahead of schedule. He described the project as a lifeline for both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, noting that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been regularly reviewing progress. He urged officials to accord priority to the timely execution of the works.