Design defects led to damages to Kaleshwaram barrages: CAG

Hyderabad: The CAG said that design faults resulted in the damages — that began in November 2019 — to the Medigadda barrage, as well at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS). The CAG said that these designs were prepared by the Central Designs Organization of the irrigation department.

The CAG said that after the gates of the barrages were closed after the 2019 floods, it was found that the reinforced cement concrete wearing coat and cement concrete blocks on the downstream side were washed away, resulting in a loss of Rs 180.39 crore, the amount spent on these works.

Deccan Chronicle had on October 24, 2023 — three days after the sinking of a portion of the Medigadda barrage came to light — reported that possible design flaws caused the barrage to sink.

The CAG said that studies by the irrigation department revealed that the damage was caused due to high discharge velocities of the water and inadequate provision for energy dissipation works.

The CAG report also said that the department approached the contractor for taking up the repairs estimated to cost Rs 476.03 crore, but was told that the work was executed strictly as per designs and drawings approved by the department and under the supervision of the department engineers.

The report said that although the department claimed that the contractor was liable to take up the repairs under the ‘defect liability period’ clause, the government’s contention was “not correct as more than three and half years elapsed,” by the time the rectification works were sought to be executed.