2 weeks ago
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When Crest Gate No. 19 of the Tungabhadra Dam adjacent Hosapete was washed distant precocious connected August 10, 2024, it triggered panic among lakhs of farmers babelike connected the reservoir for irrigation.
The monolithic reservoir, considered the lifeline of northbound Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, was past brimful with 105.788 tmcft of h2o astatine the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 1,633 feet. Within minutes of the concatenation nexus snapping, astir 35,000 cusecs of h2o began gushing uncontrollably done the damaged bay. Engineers scrambled to unfastened the remaining gates to trim unit connected the operation adjacent arsenic fears mounted downstream.
What began arsenic a terrifying engineering exigency soon evolved into 1 of the biggest dam rehabilitation exercises undertaken successful caller years. The situation triggered aggravated method efforts, governmental attention, farmers’ anxiousness and inter-State coordination. Nearly 2 years later, it has culminated successful the replacement of each the 33 crest gates. The aged ones operated done an overhead span mechanics involving chains, gearboxes, motors and counterweights. For astir 7 decades, the gates functioned without large overhauling.
When gates gave mode successful 2024, experts from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru, on with engineers from JSW Steel and section fabrication companies, began working. Hydro-mechanical adept N. Kannaiah Naidu emerged arsenic a cardinal fig successful the operation, preparing designs and method drawings for the impermanent stop-log arrangement. The cognition itself was highly risky arsenic the engineers had to enactment amid almighty currents and fluctuating discharge conditions.
Against each odds, the engineers succeeded. On August 17, 2024, conscionable 7 days aft the disaster, the squad successfully installed the impermanent stop-log gross made up of 5 monolithic alloy elements. It prevented further catastrophic h2o loss.
Experts, who inspected the dam aft the incident, advised broad replacement of each the 33 crest gates, considering their property and agelong years of cognition without large overhaul. Following method committee recommendations, the Tungabhadra Board decided to regenerate each 33 spillway gates. The Tungabhadra Board aboriginal entrusted the replacement enactment to Ahmedabad-based Hardware Tools & Machinery Projects Pvt. Ltd.
The large-scale replacement enactment gathered momentum successful precocious 2025, involving dismantling aged gates and erecting caller ones wrong a constrictive moving window.
The dismantling and erection of each 33 gates was completed successful 123 days, betwixt December 24, 2025, and April 25, 2026. Trial runs had besides been successfully conducted for the recently installed gates, portion the remaining finishing works are successful the last stages of completion.
The task besides progressive the replacement of 68 lifting chains and 100 bevel cogwheel units. Though a elaborate introspection had recovered the existing chains to beryllium structurally strong, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, during his sojourn to the dam connected May 3, 2026, said that the authorities had decided to regenerate each the chains arsenic a precautionary measure. Third-party prime inspection agencies from Hyderabad were engaged for investigating and monitoring the works. The full outgo of replacing each 33 spillway gates, on with concatenation links and prime inspections, stood astatine astir ₹51 crore.
The palmy replacement of each 33 crest gates has present go a communicative of betterment aft crisis, with relentless effort by engineers and workers, who raced against clip to prevention 1 of South India’s astir important irrigation projects.
As the renovated gates hole to beryllium formally dedicated, the Tungabhadra Dam stands not conscionable restored, but renewed. Engineers associated with the task judge the broad replacement of each the 33 crest gates has enhanced the structural information of the dam and extended its operational beingness by different 50 years.
By the extremity of this month, the authorities is readying to clasp a immense nationalist gathering inviting the farmers from the bid area, particularly signifier Koppal, Raichur and Ballari, to dedicate the renewed dam to the nation.
