KoppalOn Friday evening, engineers successfully lowered and installed one element of the stop log gate at gate number 19 of the Tungabhadra dam, despite heavy flow and fading light. The crest gate, which was 60 feet high and 20 feet wide, was damaged after a chain link snapped late Saturday night. Five elements, each 4 feet wide, were prepared at the Hindustan Engineering Company’s shed in Hosalli, Koppal taluk. One of these elements was installed on Friday.
The engineers, led by hydro-mechanical engineer N Kannaiah Naidu, are optimistic about completing the installation of the remaining four elements within a few days. Naidu noted that while the typical lifespan of a dam’s crest gate is around 40 years, the gate that failed had been in service for 30 years beyond this average.
Earlier, a section of the skywalk and balancing beam were removed to facilitate crane movement. Following the successful installation of the first element, Koppal district minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Vijayanagar in-charge minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Koppal MP Rajashekar Hitnal, and CADA chairman Hasansab Dotihal congratulated Naidu and his team and distributed sweets.
The engineers have been working on the gate for the past four to five days, and it is expected that the remaining elements will be installed in the next couple of days. The minister expressed confidence that the dam’s inflow would increase soon, and the chief minister would offer a bagina when the reservoir reaches its optimum level.
