Construct Parallel Reservoir to TB Dam: Basavaraj Bommmai
Vijayanagar (Munirabad), EXPRESS NEWS: Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai has opined that due to the cutting of the chain of the crest gate of Tungabhadra Dam (TB Dam) causing water wastage, this is an opportune time for the state government to initiate the construction of a parallel reservoir to the Tungabhadra reservoir.
He spoke at a press conference today after visiting and inspecting the Tungabhadra reservoir near Munirabad along with BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra and Opposition Leader R. Ashok.
“This is a good reason and time to initiate the construction of a parallel reservoir to Tungabhadra reservoir. The DPR is already prepared. We have shared it with the Andhra Pradesh government. We had discussions with the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He had sent a technical team. There was technical agreement. The political decision was pending. The Congress government in the state has not taken any action regarding this for the past one and a half years. The Chief Minister should hold talks with the current Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments and proceed with the construction of a parallel reservoir. This will save 28 TMC of water,” he said.
Bommai stated that Tungabhadra is the lifeline of Kalyana Karnataka, contributing to more than 40% of Karnataka’s total agricultural income. Three states share its benefits. Paddy is cultivated in about 20 lakh hectares. The Tungabhadra Dam is facing challenges due to silt accumulation. About thirty TMC of water capacity is filled with silt. Today’s incident is cause for concern for future events. The government should take this seriously.
He further discussed technical issues with the dam’s gates, water management, and the need for thorough inspections and maintenance. Bommai suggested creating new standards for water management and investigating the failure of the gate mechanism.
Bommai disagreed with DCM and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar‘s statement that no one is responsible for this incident. He insisted on an investigation to determine where the lapse occurred, stating that only then will there be trust in the government.
He also mentioned the need for farmer compensation due to potential crop losses, suggesting Rs. 50,000 per hectare. Bommai urged the state government to assess the loss and provide this compensation to farmers.
Opposition Leader R. Ashok was present at the press conference.
