On Sunday afternoon, the 19th crest gate of the 71-year-old Tungabhadra Dam across the Tungabhadra River failed, causing a significant surge of water. This event has put millions of residents in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on high alert for potential flooding.
Details of the Dam and Project
- Location and Administration: The Tungabhadra Dam is located about 350 km from Bengaluru and is administered by the Karnataka government. The project is a multi-state initiative involving both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- Historical Background: Conceived by Sir Arthur Cotton in 1860, the dam project aimed to provide irrigation, generate electricity, and control floods. Construction began in 1949 and was completed in 1953.
- Structure: The dam, also known as Pampa Sagar, is situated near Hosapete and Koppal. It is one of the few reservoirs in India built using a combination of mud and limestone.
Immediate Consequences
- Affected Areas: The failure has put at risk hundreds of thousands of farmers and villagers in the affected districts: Ballari, Vijayanagara, Koppal, and Raichur in Karnataka, and Kurnool and Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.
- Water Flow and Discharge: Following the gate’s failure, approximately 1,020 tonnes of water per second are discharging through the damaged gate, compared to 1,130 tonnes through other gates. The dam’s design allows for a release of up to 6.5 lakh cusecs of water.
Current Situation and Response
- Maintenance and Capacity: The dam’s maximum storage capacity is 133 TMC (thousand million cubic feet). As of Saturday, it held 100 TMC of water with 33 TMC being silt. Recent maintenance in May 2024 had checked all crest gates.
- Emergency Measures: On Saturday evening, 22 of the 33 gates were opened to manage the flow, releasing about 1 lakh cusecs of water. To repair the damaged gate, authorities may need to release at least 60 TMC of the stored water, which is estimated to take up to four days or longer.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What caused the failure of the Tungabhadra Dam’s 19th gate?
- A) Earthquake
- B) Heavy Rain
- C) Mechanical Failure
- D) Structural Damage
- Which states are currently on high alert due to the dam failure?
- A) Maharashtra and Gujarat
- B) Tamil Nadu and Kerala
- C) Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
- D) Telangana and Odisha
- What was the immediate response to the gate failure?
- A) Closing all gates
- B) Opening all 33 gates
- C) Increasing water discharge
- D) Restricting water flow through other gates
- What was the dam’s maximum storage capacity?
- A) 100 TMC
- B) 133 TMC
- C) 150 TMC
- D) 200 TMC
- How much water is currently being discharged through the damaged gate per second?
- A) 1,020 tonnes
- B) 1,130 tonnes
- C) 1,000 tonnes
- D) 1,200 tonnes