BALLARI: Within a span of 30 days, the monuments of Hampi have again been waterlogged following release of water from the Tungabhadra Dam. At a time when farmers are heaving a sigh of relief after the rains subsided, heavy rainfall in the upstream of the Tungabhadra has increased inflow into the dam.
Considering that the reservoir has reached its full capacity, the Tungabhadra Dam authorities released 66,000 cusecs of water on Thursday. By night, more than one lakh cusecs might be released into the dam.
“There has been heavy rain in the catchment area and the reservoir is also full. We need to balance it. So we need to release the water which flows in,” Manjappa, Chief Engineer, TB Dam Board told The New Indian Express.
The first to be affected due to the release of water was the Hampi World Heritage Site, where several monuments have been waterlogged. The flash flood has resulted in water logging of the Purandara Mantapa. The rising river water has also entered the mantapas where rituals for the dead are conducted. Water has reached the elevated platform of Kodandarama temple and the water level is likely to rise further.
Vishwanath, Assistant Engineer, T B Dam Board, said this is the first time that water has been released for the second time within a month. “We are not aware of water being released twice a year from the dam. Even if it is so, it might not be so immediately within a month or so. Maybe before the 1990s,” he said.