Tungabhadra dam gate breaks, floodwaters flow downstream; flood alert issued
Andhra authorities warned people living along Krishna river to be careful after gate number 19 was swept away releasing significant amounts of water downstream
Residents along the Krishna river were told to be vigilant after Tungabhadra dam gate in Karnataka was washed away due to the intensity of floodwaters and released lot of water to be discharged downstream.
This comes after heavy rains in the Malnad regions of the state, raising the water level of Tungabhadra dam, which has a total capacity of 133 tmc.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) on Sunday (August 11) advised people living along the Krishna river to be careful after gate number 19 was swept away when a chain link snapped.
Due to this, nearly 35,000 cusecs of floodwaters flowed and a total of 48,000 cusecs will be discharged downstream.
“People in Kurnool district's Kosiri, Mantralayam, Nandavaram and Kouthalam should exercise caution," said APSDMA managing director R Kurmanadh, according to news breports. Flood alert has been issued in all these districts.
The gate, which broke away causing a lot of water to be discarded downstream, occurred on Saturday night in Hospet, Karnataka. The residents were also cautioned against crossing canals and streams.
The is the first such damage experienced by Tungabhadra Dam in its 70 years of existence. The dam commissioned in 1953 provides water to not only Karnataka, but also to neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.