Two firms have been assigned to repair damaged gate of Pampa Sagar dam: DCM DK Shivakumar
Koppal (Karnataka), Aug 11: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said two contractor firms have been approached to repair the damaged gate of Pampa Sagar Dam on Tungabhadra river.
The DCM, who visited the spot following the incident, said there was a possibility of damage to the dam after its 19th gate was swept away.
"We have informed two experienced contractors about it and provided them designs. Their team too visited this place in the night. They are also trying to restore the gate of the dam," Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, told reporters here.
According to him, at about 12.50 am on Sunday, the crest gate of the dam was swept away.
ALSO READ: CM Siddaramaiah reviews Tungabhadra dam gate damage, plans on-site inspection
As there was a possibility of damage to the structure of the dam, all the gates were opened from where 38,000 cusecs of water is being released to neighboring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the DCM said, adding that the inflow is 28,000 cusecs.
Neighboring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were also informed about the release of water, the DCM said. He also said out of 38,000 cusecs of water being released, 35,000 is flowing from the 19th gate itself.
Shivakumar said the over 70-year-old dam irrigates 12 lakh acres of land. There is a separate authority for this dam, which is governed by three states -- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
He said 63 TMC to 65 TMC water can be stored at present to see that the broken gate of the dam is repaired.
Out of the 90 TMC water to be released to the neighboring state, 25 TMC has already been released after gate broke.
He said the Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments are working together after the gate gave way. Instructions have been given to people in two km radius to stay alert and not to venture close to the river.
"There is an emergency situation, we will not allow anyone to visit here. There is a technical aspect and this dam is a national property. We will work to protect this dam," the DCM said.
He also said he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier planned to offer 'Bagina' to the river but now it has been postponed.
To a question, the DCM said the government will not blame any official for this as everybody has been doing good work.
"Sometimes these accidents happen. Our first work is to solve this problem," Shivakumar said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
