Telangana Ministers to Visit Medigadda Barrage Today

Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu will conduct a site visit to the Medigadda barrage on Friday to assess the current status of the barrage, a crucial component of the Kaleshwaram project. This visit comes in the aftermath of the sinking of piers observed in
October.

The ministers will be presented with a detailed overview by irrigation officials through a PowerPoint presentation on the redesigning of the Pranahitha Chevella project into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

The presentation will cover various aspects, including the advantages and disadvantages of KLIS, the proposed cost of the project, any proposed cost enhancements, the new ayacut under KLIS, and the expenditure for project maintenance and power bills related to water lifting. In addition to Medigadda, the officials will brief the ministers on the condition of Sundilla and Annaram barrages, both integral parts of the Kaleshwaram project. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has cautioned that both these barrages are susceptible to collapse.

Following the presentation, the ministers will personally inspect the
Medigadda and Annaram barrages to evaluate their current condition. In preparation for the visit, minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed the engineer-in-chief of irrigation C. Muralidhar Rao, to ensure the presence of officials, as well as representatives from the construction agency, contractors, and sub-contractors involved in the project construction during the ministers' site visit.