Southern States - Karnataka   

Canal breach triggers floods in Hampi

By M.Ahiraj

Water gushing out of the breached high-level canal of the Tungabhadra Reservoir near Hampi on Tuesday.

KAMALAPUR (BELLARY DT.) Sept. 3. Major breaches occurred in the high-level and low-level canals on the right bank of Tungabhadra Reservoir on Monday night. Because of the breaches, traffic on Hospet-Kampli Road and on Hampi Road was disrupted and a tank was damaged.

The seven-metre wall of the high-level canal, which is at an elevated point with masonry work, collapsed at the 14.8 km. around 9 p.m. on Monday. About 3,400 cusecs of water was flowing in the canal at that time. When the wall collapsed, the water gushed into the low-lying areas, damaging a portion of the low-level canal at a short distance away. Many trees fell in the flash floods.

The mud embankment of the low-level canal was washed away. There was already 1,730 cusecs of water in the canal. As a result, backpressure was created and another portion of the embankment breached. The area resembled a picnic spot with waterfalls.

The breach was around 50 metres at the high-level canal and a similar width of the breaches could be seen on the low-level canal.

"There has been no casualty as the breaches occurred at night. If it had happened during the day, many agricultural labourers working in the nearby fields and cattle could have perished," Fakiramma, an agricultural labourer, said.

The breach in the low-level canal damaged the Kamalapur tank. The road link between Hospet-Kamalapur-Kampli and Hospet-Hampi, via Kamalapur, was cut off. The nearby fields and the Uddhana Veerabhadra Temple at Hampi were inundated. The road from Kamalapur to Hampi via Queen's Bath monument was cut off for some time.

KSRTC buses bound for Hospet-Kampli-Gangavati sector took a detour via Hampi and Papinayakanahalli.

R.Padmanabhan, Secretary, Tungabhadra Project Board, who rushed to the spot, told presspersons that immediately after getting information about the breaches, steps were taken to reduce the discharge from the reservoir and by 11.30 p.m. the discharge was stopped.

He said the cause of the canal collapse could not be ascertained. The Superintending Engineer of the Board did not find any leaks during his inspection of the canal on Monday afternoon, he said.

Mr. Padmanabhan said that material collection to take up immediate repairs of the breaches was on. Sandbag bunds would be erected at all the three places and water would be released. Permanent repair works would be taken up simultaneously, he said. "We hope to complete the laying of ring bunds by tomorrow and release the water immediately after that," he said.

Senior officials of the Board, including Vijayakumar Reddy, Superintending Engineer, were camping in Hampi.

The Deputy Commissioner of Bellary District, Javed Akthar, also visited the spot.

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