Kaleshwaram Barrages Problems Back in Focus
By : Balu Pulipaka
Update: 2024-03-20 15:18 GMT
Hyderabad: The investigation into the problems related to design, construction, and maintenance of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme’s barrages picked up pace with the team of experts from the National Dam Safety Authority beginning a second round of meetings with Telangana irrigation department officials.
The NDSA team, which is arrived in the city on Wednesday, is expected to be in Hyderabad for three days and meet with officials involved in all aspects of construction and maintenance of the severely damaged Medigadda barrage, and the Annaram barrage which has repeatedly sprung serious leaks from under its foundation, as well as those involved in construction of the Sundilla barrage.
During its earlier visit beginning on March 6, the NDSA team had visited the three barrages for inspection and before leaving the city after three days, met with irrigation department officials.
The NDSA team is also expected to meet with representatives of L&T, which built the Medigadda barrage, Afcons that built the Annaram barrage, and Navayuga which constructed the Sundilla barrage during this visit.
The state government is hoping that the NDSA team would be able to provide a preliminary interim report soon on what can be done before the onset of the 2024 monsoon season to protect the damaged barrages, and if there was any scope of putting them back to work. It may be recalled that the NDSA team has four months to submit its final report on the way forward with respect to the barrages.
The team of officials from NDSA were reportedly unhappy during the first visit as the responses to their queries from irrigation officials were not clear. It may be recalled that even when the NDSA sent a team last October soon after the Medigadda barrage problem became known, the then BRS government did not submit all the details sought by the NDSA.
The new government had later said that records of mandatory technical investigations, including some geological studies, were missing and that it believes that such tests were not conducted, or if conducted, were done improperly before the construction of the barrages began.
Among those who met with the NDSA team on Wednesday was former irrigation engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar, who was at the helm of the department from the very inception of the Kaleshwaram project. The previous BRS government had extended his service after retirement and he was holding the position until he was removed from service by the new Congress government on February 7 this year.
During its earlier visit beginning on March 6, the NDSA team had visited the three barrages for inspection and before leaving the city after three days, met with irrigation department officials.
The NDSA team is also expected to meet with representatives of L&T, which built the Medigadda barrage, Afcons that built the Annaram barrage, and Navayuga which constructed the Sundilla barrage during this visit.
The state government is hoping that the NDSA team would be able to provide a preliminary interim report soon on what can be done before the onset of the 2024 monsoon season to protect the damaged barrages, and if there was any scope of putting them back to work. It may be recalled that the NDSA team has four months to submit its final report on the way forward with respect to the barrages.
The team of officials from NDSA were reportedly unhappy during the first visit as the responses to their queries from irrigation officials were not clear. It may be recalled that even when the NDSA sent a team last October soon after the Medigadda barrage problem became known, the then BRS government did not submit all the details sought by the NDSA.
The new government had later said that records of mandatory technical investigations, including some geological studies, were missing and that it believes that such tests were not conducted, or if conducted, were done improperly before the construction of the barrages began.
Among those who met with the NDSA team on Wednesday was former irrigation engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar, who was at the helm of the department from the very inception of the Kaleshwaram project. The previous BRS government had extended his service after retirement and he was holding the position until he was removed from service by the new Congress government on February 7 this year.