NDSA Team Begins Visit to Stricken Barrages

Hyderabad: The countdown to the future of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages — and that of the Kaleshwaram project in its entirety — began on Wednesday with an expert team from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) arriving in the state for a four-day visit to inspect the barrages.

The NDSA team is in the state at the invitation of the state government, which wants to explore every possibility for rehabilitating the damaged Medigadda barrage, as well as the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which are also facing serious structural stability threats.

The six-member NDSA team is led by former Central Water Commission chairperson J. Chandrashekar Iyer.

The NDSA, while constituting the committee, gave the team four months to submit its report. However, with fears of the impact of increased river flows during this year’s monsoon, especially at Medigadda where a portion of the barrage developed serious cracks and has sunk, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the NDSA team was requested to provide an interim report at the earliest to suggest ways to save the barrages.

After a meeting with the NDSA team and senior irrigation department officials, Uttam reiterated that the state government will fully cooperate with the experts and instructions have been issued to share any information sought by the team. “If anyone does not provide the records or information sought by NDSA, the government will take stringent action against such persons,” he said.

“The government is committed to do all it can to ensure the barrages get back to working condition. We are ready to take up the required repairs. Once the NDSA tells us how to go about it, we will take up work as per its suggestions,” Uttam said.

The minister also said that the NDSA was requested to use the latest available technologies for damage and risk assessment. “If we can bring the barrages back into action, that will be good for the state. And if it can be done before the rains begin, that will be even better,” he said.

On the responsibility of the contracting company L&T, which built the Medigadda barrage, and the damages to the structure, Uttam said if the company is found to have committed mistakes, action would be taken. “L&T has several businesses and projects in Telangana. We are going as per law. The company that built the barrage should have responsibility,” he said, adding there will be progress soon on the issue of launching a judicial inquiry into the sinking of the Medigadda barrage, and the damages to the Annaram and Sundilla barrages.

GFX:

NDSA team schedule

March 6 – Meeting with irrigation minister, officials

March 7 – Inspection of Medigadda and Annaram barrages

March 8 – Inspection of Sundilla barrage

March 9 – Meeting with irrigation department officials in Hyderabad

NDSA’s brief

Examine causes leasing to sinking of Medigadda barrage and other signs of distress. Examine causes of distress at Annaram and Sundilla barrages.

Inspect the three barrages and discuss with officials and stakeholders to ascertain site-related issues, including hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical aspects.

Examine project data, drawings, designs, tests, site investigation reports, barrage investigation reports, quality assurance and quality control of construction, materials used, and discuss operation and maintenance issues of three barrages.

Recommend measures/further studies/investigations to address and mitigate distress conditions in the barrages, and recommend measures to prevent the recurrence of such issues.

Explainer

Water flow in Kaleshwaram project

Medigadda — The key barrage of Kaleshwaram project was built to use additional water from the Pranahita River joining the Godavari. Barrage was built after the confluence of the two rivers.

Water is lifted from Medigadda via the Kannepalli pumphouse to the upstream side of the Annaram barrage. From here, water is lifted via the Siripuram pumphouse to upstream of Sundilla barrage, and finally for a third time at the Goliwada pumphouse to Sripada Yellampalli reservoir, from where water is distributed to the rest of the Kaleshwaram systems using a series of pump houses and gravity canals.

If Medigadda is out of action, then water cannot be lifted to the two upstream barrages. Currently, both Annaram and Sundilla are also under threat from leaks and piping from under their foundations. Downstream flood protection measures at all three barrages need urgent repairs.

If the barrages cannot be operated, then the mechanism will be back to using the Sripada Yellampalli reservoir, which receives flows from Godavari, on which it is built. If this becomes the default, then the three barrages become useless.