Elected representatives from Mysuru and Mandya districts sought solutions to prevent inundation of villages along the river bank consequent to water discharge from reservoirs during monsoon every year.
They were speaking at a stakeholders’ consultation meeting on implementation of Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Chikkahole dams held in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district on Friday.
The meeting, which was inaugurated by Minister for Water Resources Govind M.Karjol, was organised by Karnataka Water Resources Department (KWRD) and the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) to discuss the EAP before finalising it. The EAP discussion was also meant to create awareness on preparation and measures to be in place in case of floods due to significant water release from spillways and crest gates or dam break.
Srirangapatna MLA Ravindra Srikantaiah said that the surge in water levels not only inundates the villages but the standing crops are damaged year after year. Hence the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd (CNNL) engineers should conceive an embankment or flood retaining wall in areas prone to periodic flooding to prevent economic loss to the people, he added.
The MLA identified villages in Srirangapatna taluk, Srirangapatna town, Doddapalya, Ganjam, Paschimavahini etc. He also sought engineering solution to provide an extra layer of protection to the KRS dam stating that it was nearing 100 years and hence need to be strengthened. Similar views were expressed by Malavalli MLA K. Annadani and Nanjangud MLA Harshavardhan.
Mr. Annadani said that there was not an year without the villages in the tail end of Malavalli taluk getting inundated and faulted the officials to turning a blind eye to the predicament of the public. Mr.Harshavardhan said the damage from the excess discharge from Kabini reservoir was high as the outflow tends to increase rapidly and sometimes from 5,000 cusecs to almost 80,000 cusecs. It causes sudden flooding besides damaging the standing crops in the region.
Senior officials including Krishnamurthy B. Kulkarni, Secretary, WRD, officials from Fire and Emergency Services, and resource persons from ISRO, Geological Survey of India, NDRF, Indian Meteorological Department were among those present.
