Bagalkot: A crest gate of Shramabindu Sagar—India’s first private barrage built across the Krishna River in the Bagalkot district—was severely damaged due to heavy water pressure in the river on Tuesday. The incident, which reportedly occurred around noon, affected gate No. 22 of the barrage at Hipparagi village in Jamakhandi taluk, resulting in a significant loss of water from the reservoir. The barrage is popularly referred to as Hipparagi barrage.According to officials from the Bagalkot district administration, the barrage, constructed by local farmers led by former Union minister late Siddu Nyamagouda in 1989 by pooling around Rs 1 crore, had nearly 6 TMC of water stored to irrigate about 75,000 acres of agricultural land in the surrounding areas. “Fortunately, there was no crop damage due to the sudden influx of water into the downstream areas,” a senior revenue official clarified. Officials also stated that an Andhra Pradesh–based firm has been entrusted with the responsibility of servicing and managing the barrage’s crest gates.District minister RB Timmapur rushed to the site soon after the incident and inspected the damage. He also held a meeting with irrigation department officials to review the situation and discuss measures to repair the broken crest gate. “Due to the damage, approximately 0.7 TMC of water has been let into the river over the last three to four hours. We were initially worried that this could trigger a flood-like situation in downstream villages. Fortunately, no such incident has occurred,” the minister said.Officials revealed that efforts are underway to reduce the uncontrolled outflow by operating the emergency gates until the damaged crest gate is fully repaired. Minister Timmapur assured that a team of technical experts would soon arrive at the barrage to assess the damage and undertake repair works at the earliest. “As the inflow of water into the Krishna River is currently low, there is no immediate threat to the public,” another official said, seeking to allay fears among residents in downstream areas.The Shramabindu Sagar barrage is managed by the farmers’ cooperative institution, the Krishna Theera Raitha Sangha. The barrage plays a crucial role in the region’s irrigation system by storing excess water released from the upstream Alamatti reservoir and supplying it to farmlands during the summer months, providing a lifeline to agriculture in Jamakhandi taluk and adjoining areas.
