Possible corrosion, crest gates, structural stability, seepage points, flood discharge systems examined

Mysore/Mysuru: Ahead of the monsoon season, a high-level technical committee conducted a pre-monsoon safety inspection of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district on May 26. A similar inspection was also carried out at the Harangi Dam in Kodagu district.

The exercise at KRS focused on assessing the structural stability, operational efficiency and overall condition of the 94-year-old reservoir as part of disaster preparedness measures.

The inspection was led by D. Basavaraju, Chief Engineer of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Dam, popularly known as Almatti Dam, who was appointed as the special visiting officer for the survey.

He was accompanied by Executive Engineer Venkataramanappa, Assistant Executive Engineer Mohammad Farooq Abu and Assistant Engineer Abhilash.

The team carried out detailed field inspections, including a physical assessment near the crucial 106-ft. gate.

Structural wear and tear

Following the implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) inspects the dam twice a year, before and after the monsoon.

As part of the audit, engineers tested most of the dam’s crest gates through mechanical opening and closing operations. The team examined structural wear and tear, concrete stability, seepage points, gate corrosion, flood discharge capacity and the functioning of the electrical and mechanical systems that operate the gates.

Officials said, minor maintenance issues identified during the inspection were documented as per standard protocol. The committee also reviewed whether corrective measures suggested during last year’s post-monsoon inspection had been implemented.

233 TMCft in 2025

Built in 1932, the KRS Dam remains crucial to the region’s water security. Last year, the reservoir came under considerable hydro-mechanical stress after heavy early monsoon inflows of nearly 233 TMCft (Thousand Million Cubic feet) kept the dam at full capacity for almost five months.

The prolonged storage increased the need for close monitoring of cracks and timely minor repairs this year.

A detailed report on the inspection is expected to be submitted to the CNNL directorate within two days to facilitate immediate pre-monsoon repair works.

DRIP Phase-2 and Phase-3

Meanwhile, the KRS Dam is also set for a major technological and structural upgrade under Phase-2 and Phase-3 of the World Bank-assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).

As the dam has crossed 50 years of age, it has been categorised as a high-priority structure under the national programme. Under DRIP Phase-1, all 136 gates of the KRS Dam have already been replaced.

The upgraded DRIP framework would strengthen dam safety monitoring through a multi-level inspection mechanism and modernisation measures. The number of inspections will increase to four every year, including audits by an independent external agency and a review by the National Dam Safety Committee.

Harangi Dam inspected

A separate team of zonal-level Chief Engineers visited the Harangi Dam on May 26 to review precautionary measures ahead of the monsoon. The team, led by Bhimanayak, Chief Engineer of Gorur Dam, inspected the four crest gates and reviewed the present condition of the reservoir.

Superintendent Engineer Satish, Executive Engineer I.K. Puttaswamy, Assistant Engineer Kiran Devaiah, Soumya and other Irrigation Department officials were present.