Bantwal: Material worth over a crore of rupees was washed out in the sudden gushing of water in river Netravati at the site of the new Thumbe dam under construction around 8-30 pm on Saturday.
The enormously excessive flow, two metres in height and 250 metres in width, is said to have been caused by the sudden release of water catchments at the other dams upstream by the respective staff. Contrary to mandatory requirement of a prior warning or notice, all the dam operators appeared to have opened the vents as they brimmed with flow of water down the ghats, following heavy rains.
Lives of about 200 contract workers, who were getting ready to go to sleep, were saved by a timely alert from the watch and ward staff. The water level surmounted the dam within five minutes. If the incident had happened later in the night, there could have been a disaster in terms of human loss.
Steel rods worth Rs 50 lakh, a 100-horse power pump and three 30-HP pumps valued at Rs 10 lakh, a generator worth Rs 12 lakhs were washed away in the depth of the river.
Usually, the sirens set up at Baddakatte, Nandavar and Goodinabali are sounded ahead of any release of water from the dams upstream. While the residents claim that they were not sounded, it is also suspected that they did not operate because of the power blackout.
There were hopes that the construction of the dam would be completed within two months. But with this mishap, the completion is likely to be delayed beyond this year.