Three state leaders inaugurate 33 Tungabhadra dam gates

In a display of cross-state cooperation, the newly installed 33 spillway crest gates at the Tungabhadra Dam were inaugurated on Thursday, June 25, in a ceremony attended by the chief ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, along with the Union Jal Shakti Minister. The event, held in the Munirabad area of Karnataka's Koppal district, was described by leaders as a historic milestone for water management and agricultural security in South India.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, and Union Minister C.R. Patil jointly inaugurated the gates. The leaders first visited the dam site for a ceremony before traveling to a public event at the Government High School Ground in Munirabad. Each leader formally activated a specific gate: Patil inaugurated gate 17, Shivakumar gate 18, Naidu gate 19, and Reddy gate 20.

The extensive gate replacement project was initiated after a critical failure in August 2024, when the chain link of gate number 19 snapped during monsoon season, washing the gate away. The incident prompted alerts in downstream areas as large volumes of water were...