Tungabhadra Dam Suffers Major Damage As 19th Gate Chain Snaps, Releasing Massive Water Flow

The chain on the 19th gate of the Tungabhadra dam snapped late Saturday night, leading to an unexpected and massive outflow of water into the river. Approximately 35,000 cusecs of water were released due to this malfunction, marking the first such significant incident in the dam’s 70-year history.

The Tungabhadra dam, an important water source and flood control structure, has 33 gates in total, each designed to manage the flow of water. However, officials on-site indicated that repairing the damage caused to the 19th gate can only commence after releasing around 60 thousand million cubic feet (tmc feet) of water from the reservoir.

The gravity of the situation prompted immediate action from local authorities. Shivraj Tangadagi, the district in-charge minister for Koppal, arrived at the dam in the early hours of Sunday to assess the situation firsthand. Following the incident, water began to be released from all 33 gates of the Tungabhadra dam starting Sunday morning to mitigate the risks associated with the uncontrolled water flow.

As of now, the dam is discharging approximately one lakh cusecs of water, a significant volume aimed at reducing the pressure on the damaged gate and preventing further complications.