All crest gates of Tungabhadra dam to be replaced by May: Karnataka Deputy CM

Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the State Government has taken up the replacement of all crest gates of the Tungabhadra dam on priority, and the work will be completed by May.

Responding to an issue raised by JD(S) member T.A. Sharavana in the Legislative Council on March 12, Mr. Shivakumar said the government had decided to replace the old gates after conducting a study of dam safety across Karnataka.

He said that, as of March 10, the installation of 14 crest gates had been completed. Work on three more gates was in progress. According to technical experts, installation of one crest gate normally takes about seven days, he said.

Mr. Shivakumar said a contract had been awarded to Hardware Tool and Machinery Project, Ahmedabad, for the work. The agreement to install a spillway gate after removing the 19th stop-log gate was signed on April 24, 2025. Another agreement was signed with the same firm on June 10, 2025, for installation of the remaining 32 spillway gates at a cost of ₹34.48 crore, with a completion period of 15 months.

Providing details of the progress, the Minister said fabrication of 25 gates has been completed, while work on two gates is underway. So far, 26 gates have been removed, and removal of two more is in progress. Of these, 14 gates have already been installed, while work on three gates is currently under way.

“All the gates will be replaced by May,” he said.

Earlier, participating in the discussion, Mr. Sharavana had raised concerns over the progress of the work of replacing the crest gate at the dam.

Later, during Zero Hour, member B.G. Patil referred to media reports on pending compensation for farmers affected by backwaters. Responding, Mr. Shivakumar said he would obtain the relevant files from officials and ensure that the issue of compensation to affected farmers is addressed.

Navali balancing reservoir proposal

On the proposal to construct the Navali balancing reservoir, Mr. Shivakumar said the issue requires discussions among three States, but Andhra Pradesh has not come forward for talks so far.

“The dam is our asset, but decisions on the project cannot be taken by Karnataka alone. Water is flowing into the sea. With collective political will, we can utilise it for the benefit of people,” he said.

Published – March 13, 2026 09:57 am IST