The Malnad rains are back.
And the Tunga is roaring again. 🌊
On Sunday morning, officials at the Tunga reservoir near Shivamogga did what they only do when the sky refuses to stop pouring.
They lifted the crest gates.
Not one. Not two.
10 out of 22.
This didn't happen in one dramatic moment.
It built up, gate by gate.
By morning, the reservoir was drinking in 20,565 cusecs from the swollen catchment upstream.
And releasing 18,051 cusecs straight back into the river downstream.
Barely keeping pace.
Here's the math that made engineers move fast.
That's a 6 centimetre cushion.
Six. Centimetres.
Between a managed release and a serious problem.
Gross storage is already at 3.206 TMC against a capacity of just 3.24 TMC. The dam is essentially full — a bathtub with the tap still running.
Compare it to July 5, 2025.
So yes, this year's monsoon is arriving with more punch, earlier.
Though last year had its own drama — inflows that day hit a wild 46,042 cusecs, with 38,345 cusecs gushing out.
The Tunga has seen worse. It's just rarely this full, this soon.
Gajanur dam isn't just a piece of infrastructure.
It's the Gateway to the Malnad's monsoon spectacle — tourists literally plan July trips around this exact sight.
But for villages downstream along the Tunga, an open-gate day is also a stay alert day. 🚨
Riverbanks swell. Low-lying farmland gets nervous. Fishermen pull back.
Officials say the release is precautionary, not emergency. Standard monsoon choreography.
Still, when 10 gates lift together, the message is loud and clear.
The Western Ghats have opened the tap.
And Karnataka is bracing for a very wet July.
That's all for now!
