Uttam slams lackadaisical repairs at Sundilla barrage

SUNDILLA: Navayuga, the company that built the Sundilla barrage and is in the middle of an attempt to complete the flood protection works as recommended by the NDSA, on Friday received an earful from irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy who expressed severe displeasure at the pace of works.

The minister, who visited the barrage for a spot check on the progress of the work, was visibly upset at the slow pace, and pulled up the engineers of the company for not starting some components of the NDSA-recommended measures such as grouting under the foundations where leaks were found.

During the conversation at the barrage the minister and engineer-in-chief Anil Kumar had with the company director Y. Ramesh, as well as with other officials of Navayuga, it emerged that no work was started on grouting the voids under the foundations where leaks were seen. When the company executives tried to explain that they had taken up grouting with polyurethane foam and that had not begun cement grouting as recommended by the NDSA — a point on which the company officials were quizzed by Anil Kumar — Uttam Kumar Reddy made it clear that NDSA instructions must be followed.

“Give us a schedule of when you will complete each work. And it must be done on a war footing,” he said in response to being informed that more men and material and equipment will be added at the site.

The irrigation minister also sought a copy of the notice issued to the company by the irrigation department on dates given to complete specific task, and the work flow thus far. He said pace of work must pick up and no excuse will be brooked as far as completing the works before the flows in the river begin to increase due to monsoon rains.