Karnataka Flood Alert: All 22 Gates of Tunga Dam Opened as Heavy Rains Lash Region
All 22 crest gates of the Tunga reservoir at Gajanur near Shivamogga in Karnataka were opened on July 6 to release excess water. The water level reached its maximum capacity on July 4 following increased inflow due to heavy rainfall in the catchment area.
As of July 7 morning, the gross storage stood at 3.24 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) against a gross capacity of 3.24 TMC, prompting officials of the Upper Tunga project to increase the outflow. Earlier in the day, the inflow was 21,508 cusecs and the outflow was 19,078 cusecs. By 3.30 p.m., the inflow had risen to 46,385 cusecs, leading officials to increase the outflow to 43,305 cusecs.
Officials managing the dam at Gajanur said 6.5 TMC of water has been discharged since June 1, most of it in the last three days. During the corresponding period last year (June 1 to July 7, 2025), 60 TMC of water was discharged from the dam. On average, 200 TMC of water is discharged from the dam annually.
With the dam full and all gates open, visitor entry has been restricted by officials to ensure safety. The Tunga and Bhadra rivers merge at Kudli near Shivamogga. The Tunga is a major source for the Tunga Bhadra dam at Hosapete in Vijayanagara district.
Several parts of Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts received moderate to heavy rain since July 4. Heavy downpour in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district and Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district prompted authorities to declare a holiday for schools in the respective taluks on July 6.
Rainfall continued throughout the day in many places, disrupting normal life. Houses were damaged after tree branches fell on them, according to reports. In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on July 6, Masthikatte in Hosanagara taluk recorded the highest rainfall in Shivamogga district at 178 mm. In Chikkamagaluru district, Bettagere in Mudigere taluk received the highest rainfall at 115.5 mm, while Kyamanahalli in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district recorded 73 mm.
On July 7, heavy rainfall in several parts of the Malnad region in Karnataka prompted local administrations to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in select taluks. Primary schools, high schools and anganwadi centres in Koppa, Sringeri and Mudigere taluks of Chikkamagaluru district remained closed on July 7. In Shivamogga district, schools and anganwadi centres remained closed in Tirthahalli, Sagar and Bhadravati taluks.
