CHITRADURGA: Vanivilas Sagar dam, in central Karnataka, will get water from Upper Bhadra Project from Thursday. All four pumps at Shanthipura pumphouse will pump water to the dam on Thursday afternoon.
Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi is set to conduct a Ganga puja for the dam, after which, four pumps will be switched on to pump water into the canal -- the water will flow through the Vedavathi rvier to the dam.
MP A Narayanaswamy told The New Indian Express that the original plan was to ensure the flow of Bhadra water to Chitradurga on Tuesday. However, with Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi evincing interest in conducting the Ganga puja, authorities have decided to hold the programme in the afternoon.
He said that this time since all the four pumps would function properly, a large amount of water would start flowing through the canal ensuring at least10 tmc ft of water.
The water will flow to the river near the Kukkesamudra tank of Kadur taluk from the Upper Bhadra Project pumphouse and then it will take the natural course through the Vedavathi river.
This alternate arrangement was made by MP Narayanaswamy, who in the first meeting with engineers, directed them to ensure the water flow in 2019.
Having a capacity of 30 tmc ft and the total height being 130 ft, the dam crossed the 100 ft mark in the previous year.
It first crossed the century mark in 1,911 (109.66 ft) and reached the maximum level of 132.25 ft in 1933. The last time the water level crossed the 100 ft mark was in 2010 (112.75 ft).
The construction of the dam had started in 1897 by Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
Bhadra dam almost full
The Bhadra dam water level, having a maximum level of 186 feet, stood at 182.1 feet on Sunday.
The inflow into the dam was 9,715 cusecs and the outflow was 2,713 cusecs. Out of which, 2,500 cusecs was released to the right bank canal and 50 cusecs through sluice gates of the dam.