From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru/Koppal, Aug 21: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also heading the Water Resources Department, said the crest gates of the Tungabhadra dam have been successfully installed and wastage of water, which would have harmed farmers, has been averted.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and myself will visit the dam again to offer the traditional bagina when the dam fills up. We are very hopeful,” he told reporters at the Ginigera airstrip in Koppal on Wednesday.

He said the State’s engineers, officials and workers as well as the district in-charge minister were constantly at work to avert any mishap.

The opposition BJP and JDS had criticised the Congress government for the damages to the crest gates and their criticism has now proved meaningless, he said.

Asked about the short life-span of Tungabhadra dam, he said nothing can be said about life span. “When the dam was constructed, it was reported that every year 1 tmc of silt would accumulate,” he said and mentioned that Industries Minister M B Patil, who is also the Koppal district in charge minister, has already stressed the need for building an additional balancing reservoir at Navali.

The Navali balancing reservoir project has already been mentioned in the State budget and funds have been allocated, he said.

To a question on non-replacement of the crest gates, which has to be done every 45 years, he said that the government has already constituted a technical panel to check the safety of all dams. Based on the technical committee’s report, necessary steps will be taken, he said.

Shivakumar complimented engineers and officers of Narayana Engineering, Jindal and Hindustan Engineering Companies for their assistance to the State’s engineers and officials in installation of the crest gates within 4 days.

“All the persons, including the workers, who had toiled in the repair work will be honoured by the government,” he said.

BJP protests to set right internal problems

The Deputy Chief Minister ridiculed the opposition BJP plans for organising another round of protests over the MUDA scam and termed it as pointless.

“BJP is beset with internal problems with senior leaders rising in revolt and the protests are an exercise to set right the internal problems and patch up,” he quipped.

Shivakumar said BJP and JDS organised Mysuru Chalo over the MUDA scam and misused Raj Bhavan to destabilise the Congress government. “What happened? The Governor sanctioned prosecution but we have received relief from the High Court,” he said.

He, however, made it clear the government or the Congress party has no objection to BJP-JDS protests. “Let them hold any number of protests. It is their right as long as law and order situation is maintained,” he added.