A delegation from Karnataka on Monday met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat and invited him to attend the inauguration of the newly installed crest gates at the Tungabhadra Dam on June 25.

The delegation, comprising former Karnataka Minister N.S. Bosuraju, MLA Basavaraju, and MLC Basavanna Gowda, handed over the invitation to the Chief Minister. Mr. Naidu later held a cordial meeting with the visiting leaders.

The inauguration ceremony is expected to be attended by Mr. Naidu and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, underscoring the importance of the inter-State irrigation project.

The replacement of the gates was undertaken after Gate No. 19 of the dam was washed away during floods in August last year, raising concerns over the safety of the ageing infrastructure. Following the incident, the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka governments jointly took up the task of replacing all 33 gates.

Earlier this month, Tungabhadra Board Chairman S.N. Pandey and Secretary O.R.K. Reddy had called on Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu to brief him on the completion of the project.

According to Mr. Ramanaidu, emergency measures were taken soon after the coalition government assumed office to install a stop-log gate in place of the damaged structure. The temporary arrangement helped retain nearly 80 TMC of water in the reservoir, ensuring irrigation and drinking water supply to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.

Recognising the critical importance of the Tungabhadra project for Rayalaseema, the State government expedited the works to complete the replacement of all gates within six months, the Minister said.

Acting on the recommendations of irrigation expert Kannayya Naidu, the authorities replaced the nearly 70-year-old gates with modern structures. Mr. Ramanaidu described the completion of 33 new gates at a cost of ₹51 crore within a single working season as a record achievement.

The Tungabhadra project remains a lifeline for Andhra Pradesh, providing irrigation to about 7.20 lakh acres in the State. Officials said the inauguration of the new crest gates would mark a significant milestone in strengthening the safety and reliability of one of South India’s key irrigation systems.