VIJAYAWADA: The newly installed gates of the Tungabhadra Dam will be inaugurated on June 25.
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will participate in the event.
Karnataka former Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju, MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy, and MLC Basanagouda Badarli met Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu at the Secretariat in Amaravati on Monday.
They formally extended an invitation to the AP Water Resources Minister on behalf of the Karnataka government, and discussed several inter-state issues.
Recalling the 2024 floods when the 19th gate of the dam was washed away, Ramanaidu noted that senior expert Kannaiah Naidu had immediately arranged a stop-log gate, which helped conserve 80 TMC of water. This ensured irrigation and drinking water supply to Karnataka and the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.
He flayed the previous YSRCP regime for ignoring expert warnings about the dangerous condition of the dam gates.
Highlighting the importance of the Tungabhadra Dam to Rayalaseema, he said CM Naidu sanctioned Rs 51 crore for replacing the 70-year-old gates with 33 new ones, based on expert recommendations. The works were completed within a single season, ensuring safety and reliability, he said.