September 15, 2025

Lakhs of farmers depending on the Tungabhadra reservoir are facing a bitter crisis this year. Why? Not due to drought, but because several crest gates of the dam have jammed! Gates numbered 11, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, and 28 are stuck, forcing the authorities to keep the water level at around 80 tmcft, way below the full capacity of 105.788 tmcft. This safe limit is set to avoid pressure on the old and worn-out gates. Minor Irrigation Minister N.S. Boseraju confirmed the bad shape of the gates in the Legislative Council. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar bluntly told the Legislative Assembly, "Farmers in the Tungabhadra command will not get water for the second crop this year." This hard truth has sparked anger among farmers from Raichur, Koppal, and Ballari. They protested loudly outside the Tungabhadra Command Area Development Authority office. They blame both the State and Union governments for "lethargy and negligence" in fixing or replacing these old gates. Chamarasa Malipatil, a senior farmers' leader and honorary president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), expressed severe frustration: "This is not a natural drought but a government-created one. After Crest Gate 19 was washed away in 2024, experts advised replacing all 33 gates, but the authorities waited a full year and did nothing." Around 8 lakh acres in these districts rely solely on Tungabhadra water. Dr Malipatil warns, "If water is denied for the second crop, it's not just farmers who suffer. Labourers, tractor drivers, harvester operators, and rice mill workers will all face losses." The crisis began on August 10, 2024, when Crest Gate 19 broke under pressure. Engineers quickly installed a temporary gate, but the reservoir lost about 36 tmcft of water in a week. Luckily, rains later helped revive water levels, allowing a second crop last year. Experts had demanded replacing all 33 gates, as the dam’s infrastructure is over 70 years old. Even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, visiting during the crisis, promised modernization support. Still, the Tungabhadra Board — managed by a union government nominee and representatives from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana — is mainly responsible. So far, only one new gate, weighing 50 tonnes, is ready and set to replace Gate 19 after the monsoon, admitted Mr. Boseraju. Adding fuel to the fire, the reservoir faces heavy silt build-up, reducing its storage from 133 tmcft originally to just about 105.788 tmcft today. This cuts irrigation, weakens flood control, and raises dam safety concerns. A plan to build a balancing reservoir near Navale in Koppal to handle silt hasn’t moved ahead due to disagreements between the states. The Tungabhadra Project is no ordinary dam. Conceived in 1860 by Sir Arthur Cotton to fight famine, it only completed its masonry in 1953. Since then, it has been jointly managed by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, later including Telangana. But today, faulty gates, silt, and government delays threaten this lifeline, leaving farmers feeling abandoned during their most crucial season.

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Tags: Tungabhadra reservoir, Crest gates, Farmers protest, Irrigation crisis, Karnataka government, Dam silt,