Bellary gets Tungabhadra water

Water was released from the Tungabhadra reservoir in Hospet on Monday afternoon through the High Level Canal (HLC) to quench the thirst of residents of Bellary who have currently been getting water only once in 10-12 days.

Superintendent Engineer of Tungabhadra Munirabad Project Circle S H Manjappa told Express that initially 100 cusecs of water was released through the High Level Canal  and gradually the quantum will be increased up to 400 cusecs as pressure is needed to pump the water from the reservoir.

“It takes at least two days to reach Bellary and once it reaches, the outflow will be decreased up to 150 cusecs and again increased in future based on rainfall,” he said.

All precautionary measures have been taken to utilise the released water  once it reaches Bellary, said Bellary City Corporation Commissioner D L Narayan to Express.

As the water is released only for the purpose of drinking, there are chances of farmers lifting water from the canal for their fields, he said and added that measures have been initiated to prevent the same. He said that the release of water through the High Level Canal will help reducing shortage of water to some extent.

‘Grateful to Bommai’

Meanwhile, expressing happiness over the release of water, Tourism and District In-charge Minister Anand Singh told Express that he is grateful to Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai for taking the water shortage issue seriously and immediately responding to the order to release water from the reservoir for drinking purposes in the district.