The Tungabhadra project is dealing with two big problems right now: a heated water-sharing dispute between states and a huge infrastructure overhaul. The immediate crisis—when Crest Gate 19 collapsed in August 2024—has been fixed. They’ve replaced all 33 spillway gates and just held an inauguration, so repairs are finished. But tension between the states has only grown. Telangana keeps protesting, saying Karnataka’s unauthorized projects upstream are cutting off their legitimate share of the river.
Telangana's Water Deficit
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has gone straight to the Central Government, accusing them of ignoring Telangana’s situation. He claims they’re only getting 5 to 6 TMCFT of water—far short of the 15.9 TMCFT they’re supposed to receive under the official allocation. The impact is real and immediate, especially for the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) anicut, which serves 83,987 acres of farmland spread across 75 villages in Jogulamba Gadwal district. Local political parties like the BRS point the finger at Karnataka for pushing their own water projects ahead without required clearances. They cite specific projects: the Kurdi Lift Irrigation Scheme, bridge-cum-barrages at Chikkalaparvi and Chikkalamanchi, and an ₹85-crore flood lift project in Raichur. The charge is that- Karnataka has skipped authorizations from the Central Water Commission and the Krishna River Management Board.
Telangana wants action—not more committees or promises. They’ve asked the Center and the CWC to empower the Tungabhadra Board so it can enforce the Bachawat Tribunal decision and stop any more unauthorized diversions upstream.
On the infrastructure side, there’s finally some good news. The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh (N. Chandrababu Naidu), Karnataka (D.K. Shivakumar), and Telangana (A. Revanth Reddy) just came together with the Union Jal Shakti Minister to inaugurate the 33 new crest gates at Munirabad. This marks the end of a ₹51-crore restoration that overhauls the old, 73-year-old dam. The project fixes the damage from when Gate 19 broke and washed away during the heavy monsoon floods last August. Now, at least, the dam’s structure is secure.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. Silt is piling up in the reservoir, which keeps reducing its storage capacity year after year. People are calling for fast-tracking new balancing reservoirs like the Navali project, but progress drags on. There’s also heavy silt accumulation specifically at the Telangana side of the RDS headworks—and that creates a serious blockage, making it even harder for Telangana to get its fair share of water.