Work to protect Medigadda 'cut' out

Hyderabad: The forecast of above-normal rainfall during this year’s monsoon season may be great news for the country as a whole, but for irrigation department officials in Telangana, it could bring some trepidation on how the Godavari river will behave, given that they are desperately pushing for flood protection measures at the Sundilla, Annaram and Medigadda barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that more than expected work is required at the Medigadda barrage. In addition to filling a void that is around 1,000 cubic metres under the foundation of Block 7, that had suffered serious damage as a result, with a portion of it sinking into the river bed, irrigation officials have now determined that four of the eight gates of the block need to be cut and dismantled against the originally expected two.

The National Dam Safety Authority, in its interim report submitted earlier this month, had said two of the gates abutting the cracked piers may have to be removed after they are cut into smaller pieces, as lifting them might be out of question as two of the piers had developed a tilt.

“We have asked the agency (L&T, which built the barrage and is doing the flood protection works) to complete the work by June 10. The steps at Medigadda include grouting the void to fill it, cutting the four gates, driving sheet piles on the downstream side to prevent further erosion from under the foundation,” G. Anil Kumar, Engineer-in-Chief (General) of the irrigation and command area development department, said on Monday.

Anil Kumar, along with senior irrigation department officials from its Central Designs Organisation (CDO), visited the Medigadda barrage for an inspection. The CDO is to provide final designs for protection and repair works for all the three barrages of Kaleshwaram scheme.

He also said the two companies that built the Sundilla and Annaram barrages, Navayuga, and Afcons, have been told to speed up protection works at these barrages, and complete the work by the June 10 deadline.

Sundilla and Annaram were not as badly hit as Medigadda but developed a series of leaks from under the foundations and the companies have been told to complete grouting of the voids and flood dissipation measures downstream. These barrages have now emerged as the key to the government’s plans for storing water and pumping once the flood season in Godavari river ends this year.

To put the Sundilla and Annaram barrages to work, water will be required to be stored at 9 metres and 11 metres respectively. If the flood protection measures suggested by the NDSA are not completed in time, or not done as specified, it could mean that the barrages may not be able to store the amount of water required for pumping. When fully functional, Sundilla barrage can hold up to 8.33 tmc ft of water, and Annaram 10.8 tmc ft.

The timely completion of immediately required repairs to the three barrages have acquired a renewed sense of urgency and importance with the Indian Meteorological Department on Monday announcing that Central and South India will see above normal rainfall – more than 106 per cent of the long period average – this year.

Two other previous years after the barrages were put to work, 2019, and 2022, were also years when the IMD had said India received above normal rainfall. These two years also saw floods in Godavari, with the first one setting the stage for the unsettling of the structures of the three barrages and washing away some of their flood protection measures.

Another flood in 2022, also a good rain year, opened up a Pandora’s Box of problems at the barrages which began to come to light in October 2023, after a portion of the Medigadda barrage sank, and developed serious cracks effectively taking it out of action for the near future.