Koppal, Karnataka: Engineers have been making great efforts to repair a new weir for the Pampa Sagar dam on the Tungabhadra river in Koppal after the existing one was washed away on August 11.
The replacement of the weir ridge began on Wednesday evening and is expected to take at least another 24 to 48 hours, the water management authority said.
The Karnataka government has appointed Hyderabad-based hydraulic engineer N. Kannaiah Naidu to repair the 19th gate of the dam, the sources added.
“Naidu has been camping in Koppal for the past three days. Efforts have been made to construct a new gate,” an official said PTI.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Naidu said the lifespan of a dam chamber is normally about 40 years, but the washed-away weir had been in service for 30 years longer than the average.
After the gate failed late Sunday evening, all dam gates were opened and water released to prevent damage to the dam.
The measure included reducing the existing water storage capacity from 105 TMC to 65 TMC to minimize the load on the dam and to carry out repair work as soon as possible.
An alert has been issued for the districts below the Tungabhadra river in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Published 16 August 2024, 11:06 IS
