Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced in the Karnataka Legislative Council that installation of new crest gates at the Tungabhadra reservoir will begin after the water level falls to 1,613 feet by the end of December 2025. The work is expected to be completed by June 2026. He said the designs and drawings of the crest gates were approved by the Chief Engineer of the Central Design Organisation in Vijayawada and certified by the Director of Gates Design (NW&S) at the Central Water Commission in New Delhi. The contract for gate number 19, costing ₹1.66 crore, and the replacement of 32 other gates worth ₹34.48 crore was awarded to M/s Hardware Tools and Machinery Project Ltd., Ahmedabad. Currently, fabrication of 14 gates is finished and dismantling began on December 12. “The installation will start once the water recedes to 1,613 feet by December-end and complete by June 2026,” Mr. Shivakumar said. Karnataka has released ₹10 crore for the project while Andhra Pradesh has provided ₹20 crore. Further funds will be arranged for the remaining work.