Karnataka ‘s Tungabhadra Dam Crisis
After a crest gate at the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka’s Vijayanagar district was washed away, leading to a significant discharge of water, the BJP on Sunday accused the state government of negligence. The party claimed that Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar had failed to prioritize his departmental duties.
Leader of the Opposition, R Ashoka, criticized the Congress government for not convening regular meetings of the dam’s technical committee to ensure its maintenance. He alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also serves as the Water Resources Minister, was more focused on party politics than on managing his department. Ashoka pointed out that the dam had been empty during last year’s drought, providing ample opportunity for repairs. However, he claimed that Shivakumar was too preoccupied with his political ambitions to address the issue, leading to the current crisis.
The incident has alarmed farmers who rely on the dam for irrigation, especially as they had anticipated a good harvest following the monsoon rains. Ashoka expressed concern that the water shortage could result in crop failures, impacting the livelihoods of many farmers.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra highlighted that over 30 villages downstream of the reservoir were now facing a flood threat after the 19th crest gate’s chain broke, causing the gate to be washed away. He accused officials of negligence and called for the immediate relocation of residents in low-lying areas to safer locations.
Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai also criticized the government, accusing it of ignoring the recommendations of the dam safety committee. He argued that the state government should have allocated funds and initiated repair works based on these recommendations, and that the current situation was a result of negligence.
In response, D K Shivakumar, who inspected the dam on Sunday, assured that the issue would be resolved within four to five days. He stated that authorities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had been informed about the situation and that the safety of the dam would be ensured. Shivakumar added that repair works would commence once the water levels dropped to 50-60 TMC. Despite the large outflow of water, he expressed confidence that there was no immediate threat to crops, citing a projected inflow of 50-60 TMC in the coming months of October and September.
Related:
Karnataka’s Tungabhadra Dam Gate Gets Washed Away, Locals On Alert
for more news: comingglobe.com