The construction of a barrage-cum-bridge being built across the Krishna river, near Gurjapur village in Raichur taluk, has been stopped after water was released from Basava Sagara (Narayanpur) reservoir to the river.
As per information provided by officials of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd (KBJNL), over one lakh cusec water was released from the Alamatti reservoir after it was almost full, owing to the heavy rains lashing in catchment area in Maharashtra. When the water level reached maximum at Basava Sagara reservoir built across the same river downstream at the border of Raichur and Yadgir districts, the same amount of water was released, forcing the contractors to suspend the construction of Gurjapur barrage.
The bridge had been planned by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) to ensure sufficient water for Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) and Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS). The construction started in January last year is scheduled to be completed by January 2017. As many as 800 workers, including 300 civil construction workers and 400 centring workers, employed in the work have left for their hometowns in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, after the work was suspended. KPCL officials, however, are hopeful that the work will be completed as per schedule.
"Nearly 50 per cent of the work has been completed. We will resume construction as and when the water level in the river stabilises, which could be by the end of August 2016," Venugopal C., Executive Director of RTPS, told The Hindu on Friday.
The project involves the construction of a barrage of 1180 meter length, 5.675 meter height and 194 gates that are three metres wide and three metres high. Once completed, the barrage can hold 0.46 tmcft of water. The barrage is expected to meet the water requirements of RTPS and YTPS that require 2.5 tmcft and 2 tmcft water respectively for a year for seamlessly generating power from all their units. The project is also aimed at providing drinking water to Shaktinagar, Devasugur and other surrounding villages.
