Koppal: The central govt is preparing a nationwide programme to remove silt from reservoirs and improve water storage capacity, Union jal shakti minister CR Patil said Thursday.Speaking during the inauguration of the new crest gates at Tungabhadra reservoir in Munirabad, about 332km from Bengaluru, Patil said his ministry was formulating a programme under which the Centre would provide technical support while implementation would be undertaken by state govts.He said silt accumulation had reduced storage capacity by as much as 15% in many dams across the country“The Tungabhadra reservoir has also accumulated about 15% silt,” he said. “If the proposed plan is successfully implemented at Tungabhadra, water storage capacity could potentially increase by 25% to 30%. Dredging reservoirs is an important step not only to improve water availability, but also to strengthen irrigation security in command areas dependent on ageing reservoirs.”The announcement assumes significance since Karnataka has, for years, considered large-scale desilting of Tungabhadra reservoir economically and technically challenging. Estimates suggest desilting could cost as much — if not more — as constructing a new dam. It would also require vast tracts of land to dispose of excavated silt.The reservoir is estimated to have lost around 32-34 tmcft of its original storage capacity. Earlier efforts by farmers to remove silt for agricultural use had only a marginal impact, prompting authorities to explore alternatives, including a balancing reservoir downstream.
