Historic Revival at Tungabhadra Dam as 33 New Crest Gates Inaugurated After Decades

A major moment unfolded at the Tungabhadra Dam in Koppal district as the long awaited replacement of all 33 crest gates was officially inaugurated. Leaders from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana came together along with the Union Jal Shakti Minister, marking a rare joint appearance focused on water security and infrastructure cooperation. The event is being seen as a significant step in strengthening inter state coordination on river management.

The project gained urgency after a serious incident in August 2024 when the 19th crest gate was washed away, causing large scale water loss and concern over dam safety. That incident triggered a detailed technical review, which eventually led to the decision to replace all existing gates that had been in service since the early 1950s.

Officials confirmed that the entire upgrade project was completed at a cost of around 51 crore rupees. The old gates, installed in 1953 and weighing nearly 48.50 tonnes each, had become structurally weak over time. The newly installed gates are expected to improve water regulation, safety standards and long term reliability of the reservoir system.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Patil. The gathering highlighted the shared dependency of the region on Tungabhadra waters and the importance of coordinated management.

Later in the day, a large public meeting was organized at the government school ground in Munirabad, where participation from more than twenty thousand farmers across surrounding districts was expected. Discussions also touched upon long pending proposals such as desilting of the reservoir and the Navali parallel reservoir project, which has been under consideration for years.

Security arrangements were tightened across the dam area and surrounding zones due to the high profile nature of the event. Authorities deployed additional personnel to ensure smooth movement of leaders and public participants during the inauguration proceedings.