Expedite repair, monsoon flood protection works at Medigadda, Sundilla, Annaram barrages, says Telangana Minister for Irrigation

The KLIP has become defunct and a huge burden of payment of interest on the loans borrowed for the project by the previous BRS government has fallen on current government, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out

Minister for Irrigation N Uttam Kumar Reddy has asked the construction companies concerned to ensure speedy completion of the ongoing repair and monsoon flood protection works at the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

Minister for Irrigation N Uttam Kumar Reddy has asked the construction companies concerned to ensure speedy completion of the ongoing repair and monsoon flood protection works at the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on a war-footing to ensure safety of the barrages.

The Minister, accompanied by Engineer-in-Chief Anil Kumar, conducted an on-site inspection of the progress of repair works as recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) at the three barrages on Godavari river on Friday.

Speaking to the media at Medigadda, he said the previous BRS government had spent ₹94,000 crore on the KLIP imposing a huge debt burden on the State exchequer. It was during the BRS regime that a portion of the Medigadda barrage had sunk on October 21, 2023 and the Sundilla and Annaram barrages developed cracks, he charged.

“The KLIP has become defunct and a huge burden of payment of interest on the loans borrowed for the project by the previous BRS government fell on us (Congress government),” he said. The previous BRS government failed to take proper precautionary measures to prevent further damage to the Medigadda barrage soon after a portion of the barrage sank.

“Our Congress government, immediately after coming to power in December last year, requested the NDSA, the statutory body established under the Dam Safety Act, to inspect the structural stability of the three barrages and give expert opinion for repair and restoration. A judicial inquiry into the KLIP is currently underway,” he said.

The NDSA’s expert committee gave its interim report after a thorough inspection of the barrages, he said, adding that the L&T, Afcons and Navayuga companies have been entrusted with the task of expeditiously implementing the interim measures recommended by the NDSA.

Pointing out the ‘slow’ pace of repair works at Sundilla Barrage, the Minister asked the Navayuga representatives to accelerate the pace of repair works by deploying additional manpower and machinery to ensure completion of the works within a week.

The Minister reiterated that the Pranahita-Chevella project, which was shelved by the previous BRS government, will be taken up at Tummidhihatti in the erstwhile Adilabad district in the present financial year.

Mr. Anil Kumar said urgent repairs are being carried out at Medigadda barrage as recommended by the NDSA expert committee to prevent further damage to the barrage in the ensuing monsoon season.

The recommendations such as the conduct of geotechnical, geo-physical and GRP among other integrated tests are being complied with strictly as part of permanent repairs and restoration of the barrage.

All the gates of the barrage will be kept open till further instructions from the NDA, he said. With the permission of the NDSA, pumping could be made possible through Kannepalli pump house by next season, he added.

Earlier, a representative of L&T briefed the Minister about the progress of repair and monsoon protection works at Medigadda barrage.