Nearly four years after announcing an additional reservoir to the Tungabhadra dam to impound water, the State government has given its administrative approval to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to construct a balancing reservoir across the Tungabhadra at Navali village in Koppal district.
The DPR for the project, which received Cabinet approval recently, was notified on Saturday. The State’s plan for a new reservoir comes in the light of reduction in holding capacity of the TB reservoir, near Hosapete in Ballari, by an estimated 30 tmcft due to the accumulation of silt over six decades.
The construction of another reservoir has been decided upon after considering options to remove silt from the TB reservoir and its cost.
“Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Ltd. has been asked by the State government to prepare the DPR. The government has worked out a new plan to address the storage problems of the reservoir which has been affected by silt accumulation,” Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi told reporters here on Sunday.
According to the Minister, while the total storage capacity of the TB reservoir was 130 tmcft, the State was unable to impound 30 tmcft. “Directions have been issued to release ₹14.3 crore towards preparation of the DPR,” he added.
Mr. Jarkiholi said that the new reservoir will help overcome water crisis during drought and increase the State’s capacity for water utilisation.
The farmers of the TB reservoir command area had also been complaining about inadequate quantity of water that they were receiving for their fields owing to the silt accumulation in the reservoir, which was built in 1953.