Water release from Tungabhadra dam increased

The Tungabhadra dam authorities on Sunday afternoon increased the amount of water being released into the river course following a sharp surge in inflows from the Tunga and Bhadra dams, the Varada river and heavy rainfall in the dams’s catchment area.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday, the water level in the reservoir stood at 1,624.76 ft (holding 75.709 tmcft of water) against the full reservoir level of 1,633.00 ft (full capacity of 105.788 tmcft).

Inflow, which stood at 90,000 cusecs in the morning, is expected to rise up to 1.40 lakh cusecs due to 80,000 cusecs released from the Tunga dam, 40,000 cusecs from the Bhadra dam and 20,000 cusecs from the Varada river.

Given the increase in inflows, the dam authorities initiated water release through the spillway gates starting at 2 p.m. Outflow volumes are likely to range between 90,000 cusecs and 1.40 lakh cusecs depending on the inflow pattern.

Tungabhadra Board officials have issued a caution to residents, farmers and local authorities downstream along the Tungabhadra river to remain vigilant.

People residing in low-lying areas and those venturing near the riverbanks have been asked to exercise extreme caution and avoid the riverbed.

Last year, on the same date, the reservoir level was significantly higher at 1,631.68 ft (holding 100.523 tmcft of water) with inflow and outflow recorded at 1.03 lakh cusecs and 1.17 lakh cusecs, respectively.

Officials said that the current release is a precautionary step to manage the expected spike in inflows.

A Section Officer of the Tungabhadra Board confirmed that the discharge will be adjusted continuously based on real-time data.

The public is requested to follow local advisories and stay away from flood-prone zones until water levels stabilise.