Maintain gates of barrages: K Chandrasekhar Rao

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday instructed the senior officials of the irrigation department to be alert and cautious regarding maintaining of the barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

During his visit to the Kaleshwaram projects and the barrages under the project, Mr Rao held a review meeting with the irrigation engineers and  project officers and told them to take all precautions and measures while maintaining the gates in view of heavy flood water flowing from the Pranahita, a tributary of the Godavari River.

Mr Rao told the officers and engineers that he was happy that the Kaleswaram project, which will irrigate 45 lakh acres and provide water for industrial and drinking water to 80 per cent of Telangana state, was completed within such a short span of time.

When the Chief Minister enquired with the engineers about the quantum of flood water which was released downstream of the Medigadda Barrage in the current flood, the officials replied that so far 300 TMC of water has flowed downstream of the barrage.

Mr Rao instructed that the water level in the barrage must be maintained as per its storage capacity keeping in view the flood inflows into the barrage.

Mr Rao asked the officials to close all the doors of the barrage after the floods have receded in the Godavari and maintain storage level.

He congratulated L&T, the company that constructed the barrage, and officials of the irrigation department for completing the Medigadda barrage on time and making it functional this season.