Expert clears Karnataka of putting gates
in Almatti spillway bays
A hydrology expert has told the Supreme Court that no radial gates have been erected in the spillway bays in the Almatti Dam across the River Krishna.
Karnataka government sources said the operative portion of the nineteen-page report of Dr S M Seth, director of the Institute of Hydrology, Rourkee, had clearly vindicated the state's stand that it had installed no crest gate as mentioned in a newspaper report dated May 5, 1998.
Andhra Pradesh had filed a contempt petition in July 1998 basing its arguments on this report.
The Supreme Court handed Seth's report to the governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh today.
The relevant portion of the report says that at present there is no control on the flow of water above 509 metres and the water continues to flow unobstructed through all the 26 bays of the spillway.
The newspaper, quoting Karnataka Irrigation Minister K N Nage Gowda, had reported that work on the installation of the crest gate was going on and that seven gates had already been erected.
The Karnataka government told the court that it could not give the clarification sought by the Andhra Pradesh government on May 10 because of "administrative reasons".
The Andhra Pradesh government had filed its contempt notice on July 20, alleging that Karnataka had installed seven crest gates in violation of the undertaking given to the Supreme Court in September 1997. The court had then appointed Seth as its commissioner to study the matter.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has granted a stay against the erection of crest gates till "further orders". Andhra Pradesh's application has been listed for grant of interim order on December 1, 1998.
Andhra Pradesh has filed an injunction suit against Karnataka for increasing the dam's height to 524 metres. It contended that the height should not exceed 515 metres to use the 155 thousand million cubic feet permitted by the Bachawat Tribunal award which adjudicated the Krishna waters dispute between Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Karnataka has maintained that the tribunal has not imposed any restriction on the height of the dam or the extent of water utilisation under the upper Krishna project.
According to it, the only restriction the tribunal has imposed is that the total utilisation should not exceed 734 tmcft in a water year.
UNI
EARLIER REPORT:
SC fixes date for disposing of plea on Almatti dam
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