Centre to roll out major desilting plan for dams across India: Jal Shakti Minister

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said the Union Government has prepared a grand plan to clear silt from reservoirs across India and pointed out that excessive accumulation of silt has significantly reduced the storage capacity of many dams, including the Tungabhadra reservoir.

Speaking at a public event held at Munirabad in Karnataka’s Koppal district on the occasion of the inauguration of newly installed spillway gates of Tungabhadra reservoir near Hosapete in neighboring Vijayanagara district on June 25, Mr. Patil said that many dams in the country have lost more than 15% of their storage capacity due to accumulation of silt.

He said Tungabhadra reservoir has accumulated around 15% silt, which affects its effective storage capacity.

To solve the problem, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry is working on a special desilting program for reservoirs; It is stated that under this programme, the Center will provide technical support and the responsibility for implementation will rest with the respective State governments.

“If the proposed plan is successfully implemented in Tungabhadra, the water storage capacity of the reservoir can potentially increase by 25% to 30%. Dredging of reservoirs is an important step not only for improving water availability but also for strengthening irrigation security in command areas connected to aging reservoirs,” he said.

spirit of cooperation

Lauding the coming together of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on a common platform, the Union Minister said the participation of the three Chief Ministers in the Tungabhadra event reflects the spirit of cooperation on a common water resource.

“Despite past differences on water sharing issues, the three States worked together constructively, which helped in the rapid replacement of spillway gates in Tungabhadra,” he said.

Linking the issue to broader national water planning, Mr. Patil said the country was connected not only through roads and highways, but also through water infrastructure and coordinated river management. “Greater water availability will allow farmers to have two crops per year instead of one, thus helping to increase farm incomes,” he said.

The public meeting was organized by the Karnataka government, Water Resources Department and Tungabhadra Board. The event was attended by Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, among others.