Following reports of water seepage from a wall of an emergency valve tunnel at the Koyna hydroelectric project in Satara district, the Maharashtra Water Resources Department said on Tuesday that there was no danger to the Koyna dam.
Seepage was taking place due to cracks in the concrete interlining of a surge well, it said.
The tendering process has been initiated to address the issue, but there was no danger to the Koyna reservoir or the hill from where the water is currently seeping, the department said.
There is a `head race tunnel' through which water from Navaja tower flows for power generation at one of the units of the Koyna Hydroelectric Project, it said in a release.
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There is a surge well at the end of the tunnel from where water flows towards the power generation room and this well has been constructed 100 meters deep in the sheetrock in 1960, the release said.
"The well so far absorbed several earthquake jolts in the last 60 years but lately, some cracks have occurred to the concrete interlining of the well and as a result, water seepage is happening and the percolated water is flowing from the slope of the hill," said the statement.
Deepak Modak, a retired secretary of the Water Resources Department, said currently it is not possible to reach the location of the surge well due to the high flow of water. Repairs will be possible in the summer season when the water level goes down but the concerned departments are taking precautions, he said.
