Expert team to investigate crest gate washout incident

Munirabad (Koppal): A team of technical experts, headed by former Central Water Commission (CWC) chairman AK Bajaj, has been constituted to investigate the reason for the washout of the 19th crest gate of Tungabhadra dam on the night of Aug 10.The team consists of dam gate authorities Harkesh Kumar and Tarapuram Sudhakar, as well as members from the technical advisory committees representing the govts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. ORK Reddy, secretary of the Tungabhadra Board, indicated that there is a suggestion to complete and submit the investigation report within 15 days. He also shared further technical details regarding the objectives of the proposed committee.Throughout its 70-year existence, the Tungabhadra dam has not experienced any incidents of gate collapse. The original gates have remained unchanged, with only routine maintenance performed on the crest gates that were installed during the dam's construction. This situation prompts an inquiry into what caused the crest gate, which was held upright by a chain link, to become dislodged. According to Reddy, the team will explore essential questions regarding how often the gates and chain links were inspected before and after the rainy season.The team will also investigate why stoplog gates, which are present in other dams, have not been installed at Tungabhadra dam, and recommend measures to strengthen the existing gates and prevent future crest gate washouts, according to Reddy.The investigation team's work has become more crucial as they will assess the current state of the remaining 32 crest gates and recommend the critical issue of the safe water storage level in the reservoir. The team's findings will be essential for ensuring the dam's safety and preventing similar incidents in the future.