Karnataka rain: All 22 crest gates of Tunga dam at Gajanur opened to release excess water

All 22 crest gates of the Tunga reservoir at Gajanur near Shivamogga, in Karnataka, were opened on July 6 to release excess water. The water level reached the maximum on July 4, as inflow increased following heavy rain in the catchment area.

Tunga dam in Gajanur near Shivamogga

All 22 crest gates of the Tunga reservoir at Gajanur near Shivamogga, in Karnataka, were opened to release excess water on July 6, 2026. The water level reached the maximum on July 4, as inflow increased following heavy rain in the catchment area. | Video Credit: The Hindu

As of July 7 morning, the gross storage stood at 3.24 TMC against a gross capacity of 3.24 TMC, prompting officials of the Upper Tunga project to increase the outflow. Earlier in the day, the inflow was 21,508 cusecs and the outflow was 19,078 cusecs. By afternoon, the inflow had risen to 25,461 cusecs, forcing officials to increase the outflow to 31,178 cusecs.

Officials handling the dam at Gajanur said 6.5 TMC of water has been discharged since June 1, most of it in the last three days. However, during the corresponding period last year (June 1 to July 7, 2025), 60 TMC of water was discharged from the dam. On average, 200 TMC of water is discharged from the dam annually.

With the dam full and all gates open, many tourists have shown interest in visiting the site. However, officials have restricted visitor entry. The Tunga and Bhadra rivers merge at Kudli near Shivamogga. The Tunga is a major source for the Tunga Bhadra dam at Hosapete in Vijayanagara district.

Rain in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru districts

Several parts of Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts received moderate to heavy rain since July 4. Heavy downpour in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district and Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district prompted authorities to declare a holiday for schools in the respective taluks on July 6.

Rainfall continued throughout the day in many places, throwing normal life out of gear. Houses were damaged after tree branches fell on them, according to reports.

In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on July 6, Masthikatte in Hosanagara taluk recorded the highest rainfall in Shivamogga district at 178 mm. In Chikkamagaluru district, Bettagere in Mudigere taluk received the highest rainfall at 115.5 mm, while Kyamanahalli in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district recorded 73 mm.

Schools closed on July 7

On July 7, a heavy downpour in several parts of the Malnad region in Karnataka prompted the local administration to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in select taluks.

Primary schools, high schools and anganwadi centres in Koppa, Sringeri and Mudigere taluks of Chikkamagaluru district remained closed on July 7.

In Shivamogga district, schools and anganwadi centres remain closed in Tirthahalli, Sagar and Bhadravati taluks.