Belagavi: Repair works on the damaged crest gate of the Hipparagi barrage in Jamkhandi taluk of Bagalkot district are being carried out on a war footing, even as a significant quantity of stored water is already lost, triggering concern among farmers in Belagavi and Bagalkot districts.The second element of the 22nd crest gate, one of 4 elements in each gate, was damaged on Jan 6, leading to a rapid outflow of water from the barrage. As a result, Krishna River recorded a drop of nearly 8 to 9 feet in water level by Thursday. Sources in the water resources department said around 8,000 cusecs of water was flowing out every 24 hours since the damage, resulting in the loss of nearly 2 tmcft of water by Thursday evening. An expert technical team from the Tungabhadra dam was deployed to rectify the fault. “The damaged gate element was brought to the site on Wednesday itself. During installation, it tilted slightly, and we are making renewed efforts to fix it properly. Our maintenance team is fully supporting the technical experts,” said BR Rathod, chief engineer of Karnataka Niravari Nigam Limited (KNNL), speaking to TOI. He added that all efforts were made to complete the repairs by Thursday. KNNL managing director Rajesh Amminabhavi was camping at the barrage to oversee the restoration work. Deputy Commissioners of both Belagavi and Bagalkot districts were closely monitoring the situation. The Hipparagi barrage has a gross storage capacity of 6 tmcft. However, due to siltation, its live storage capacity was reduced by nearly 1.5 tmcft. The loss of around 2 tmcft of water so far heightened anxiety among farmers, who fear serious implications for irrigation in the coming weeks. Former Athani MLA Shahajahan Donganraon blamed the govt for apathy in addressing the issue promptly, alleging inadequate maintenance of the barrage. Situated on the Belagavi–Bagalkot district border, the Hipparagi barrage plays a crucial role in meeting the irrigation needs of thousands of hectares of agricultural land across both districts.
