Taraka dam crest gate washed away; flood warning issued

Mysore, Oct 7 (UNI) One of the three crest gates of Taraka dam in H D Kote taluk in this district collapsed late last night, resulting in extensive damage to standing crops and some animals and houses getting washed away in heavy discharge from the dam.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Executive Engineer S J Dharanendra Kumar told UNI that due to some mechanical fault, the gate collapsed and huge volumes of water gushed out, creating panic among the nearby villages. People in nearby Hirehalli, who heard the huge sound, moved their live stock and valuables before water entered their village.

Crops like sugarcane, cotton, paddy and tobacco cultivated in over 17,000 acres of land have been either damaged or submerged.

Meanwhile, irrigation authorities have issued flood warning to people living along the banks of the dam and asked them to move to safer places with their belongings.

Mr Kumar said the storage capacity of the dam was 3.93 TMC FT and the level had stood at 2424 ft as against the maximum level of 2425 ft. The 20 x 40 gate was washed away in the swirling waters.

When this reporter visited the spot, villagers were seen rushing towards the dam and accusing the officials of being negligent.

Despite the water level being full, the authorities had failed to release water to canals which resulted in the gate crash, they alleged.

Meanwhile, H D Kote MLA M P Venkatesh was manhandled and attacked by the Hirehalli villagers for failing to give a proper reply to the villagers, demanding compensation for crop loss. Later, he visited the dam site and enquired about the situation with officials.

According to officials, the extent of loss to crops and property was yet to be ascertained.

Mr Kumar said installation of a new gate would be possible only after another 1.70 TMC FT flowed into river Kabini.

Experts from Nandi steels in Davanagere would visit the dam later in the day to review the situation and the work of installing new gate would be entrusted with them in another week's time, he added.

Power supply in the entire taluk had been cut off since early today and heavy vehicles were not allowed near the dam.

The dam, constructed in 1983 to irrigate 17,400 acres of land, had filled up for the first time this season since its completion.

Former Water Resources Minister M Shivanna blamed the improper maintenance by the officials for the collapse of the gate. Tender worth Rs 1.5 crore had been awarded for the maintenance of the dam when he was the Minister. However, the tender was cancelled after the new coalition Government assumed power, he alleged.

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