HDK suggests stoplogs to crest gates at KRS reservoir
Expressing concern over the washing away of one of the crest gates at Tungabhadra dam late on Saturday night, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday suggested installation of stoplogs to the crest gates at all the reservoirs including the KRS dam in Mandya district.
Speaking to reporters after participating in a programme to sow paddy in an agricultural field in Seethapura village in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district on Sunday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the stoplogs had become inevitable for the crest gates of all the reservoirs that had been built a long time ago.
Describing the washing away of the crest gate at Tungabhadra dam as a ‘disaster’, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that about 60 tmc feet of water would be depleted from the reservoir, seriously affecting the farmers, who were depending on the water impounded in the dam.
The Tungabhadra dam, which had been built about 70 years ago, had faced problems earlier also, he said while pointing out that the discharge of the water could not be stopped as the dam was not equipped with a stoplog.
Such stoplog gates had been installed at Narayanapura and Almatti reservoirs following a recommendation from the World Bank, he said but regretted the absence of such stoplogs at Tungabhadra dam as well as KRS dam.
Mr. Kumaraswamy found fault with Technical Committee of Tungabhadra dam and called for a serious evaluation of all the reservoirs in the State.
KRS: He urged the State government to immediately wake up to the need for safety measures at KRS reservoir, which is also not equipped with stoplogs as the technology was not available when it was built.
In view of the mishap at Tungabhadra reservoir, the State government should consider installing stoplogs at KRS reservoir.
Though he did not blame the State government for the washing away of the crest gate at Tungabhadra, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the technical committees of the dams should take up their annual inspections seriously and identify the threats and challenges to the safety of the reservoirs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy reacted sharply to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s reported statement that he had made no contribution to the welfare of the farmers and sought to remind Mr. Shivakumar of the waiver of ₹25,000 agricultural loans during his tenure as Chief Minister.
He countered Mr. Shivakumar by asking his contribution to the farmers while drawing the attention of the Ministers in the State government to the suffering of the tomato farmers of Kolar, who suffered a collapse in prices. He also said he does not require any “certificate” from Mr. Shivakumar and added that the people of the State acknowledge his contribution to their welfare.
Reacting to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s refusal to step down from the post of Chief Minister over the complaints of irregularities in the allotment of residential sites to his wife by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Mr. Kumaraswamy said the eight-day-long Bengaluru to Mysuru padayatra, which concluded in Mysuru on Saturday, was taken out to create awareness among the people about the issue. Next, the legal struggle will follow, he said.
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