* No cause for panic * Water supply to Bangalore likely to be hit * Loss of water about 500 cusecs

Mysore, Sept. 29 (JP&RK)- The Crest Gate No. 11 of Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, which was being overhauled, breached late last night due to a technical flaw and the pressure of water.

The furious gushing out of water had been noticed only early this morning.

Work on the repair of the breached Crest Gate began early this morning and was completed at the time of going to Press.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigama (CNN) Chief Engineer Prasanna, who is at the spot, told Star of Mysore that the loss of water was negligible and less than 500 cusecs.

The KRS Dam has a capacity to hold 49 billion cubic feet of water.

Early morning when the breach was noticed, there was some worry whether the damage could be contained or not. KRS or Kannambadi Katte, as it is more popularly known, is however in no danger, said Vijaya Kumar, CNN Executive Engineer, to SOM.

The automated crest gates of KRS Dam were installed in 1920. The periodic review of this stone masonry dam was started only after constitution of the Dam Safety Review Panel set up under GO: ID/55/CDM/99/2000.

Between 1920 and 1999, there was no safety measures review panel that would have tested the dam’s longevity.

As M.A. Sadiq, CNN Managing Director, was ‘not in station,’ his office suggested that SOM contact CNN Chief Engineer Prasanna.

Prasannna, speaking to SOM from the dam site said, "We have been working on the problem and have now been able to rectify the same. Everything will be alright by tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Executive Engineer Vijaya Kumar said that the work on the overhauling of all the 152 Crest Gates were being carried out by a team of 50 specialists from Tamil Nadu. The length of the dam is 2,621 meters and height 39 meters. The reservoir itself is spread over an area of 130 Sq. Kms.

So far work has been done on most of the Crest Gates sometimes called Floodgates and the breach of Gate No. 11 was noticed only at 5.30 am this morning, according to the engineers. But other sources said that the breach must have occurred late last night as the Gate seems to have bent outwards due to the pressure of water, which is now nearing the maximum level of 124 feet.

It may be recalled that recently the bottom of the Crest Gate of Dharma Reservoir on the border of Sirsi and Mundgod had breached causing concern among the people in the surroundings. Crest Gates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in dams and they are usually designed to set spillway heights in dams to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals.

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore