Tungabhadra dam nears full capacity with 92tmcft of water

Koppal: The Tungabhadra reservoir has stored 92.4 tmcft of water as of Friday, providing much-needed relief to farmers who are anxiously anticipating the onset of the first crop.Following the damage to the 19th crest gate on Aug 10, which resulted in a loss of 36tmcft of water, the installation of a temporary gate has facilitated the continuation of water collection. Over the past 12 days, the reservoir has successfully gained an additional 22tmcft of water.On Aug 17, Kannaiah Naidu, an expert in irrigation and a specialist in the crest gates, stated that if the reservoir reaches a capacity of 90tmcft, it would provide enough water to irrigate approximately 15 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the first crop. He further assured that this water would also be available for drinking and industrial uses.According to his forecast, the average inflow reached 25,000 cusecs, resulting in water storage exceeding 92tmcft within two weeks. Presently, the water level in the dam, which has a maximum elevation of 1,633ft, is at 1,629.5ft, with an inflow rate of 34,083 cusecs. The dam will attain full capacity with an additional 4ft of water. At present, nearly 1tmcft ft of water is being released into various canals daily.The ongoing monsoon in the Malnad region is expected to result in significant water flow for several more days. According to sources from the Tungabhadra board, the inflow should surpass 50,000 cusecs and the reservoir should reach a storage level of 98tmcft to open certain crest gates to discharge water into the river. A board official commented, "At this moment, there is no plan to open the gates."With the expectation of good retreating monsoon rains this year, it is predicted that the reservoir will accumulate more than 90tmcft of water during Oct and Nov. If this occurs, the second crop will also receive sufficient water, an official said.
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