DC Exclusive: Vigilance report nails KCR govt for Kaleshwaram failures
Hyderabad: The Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) wing, which probed the sinking of the Medigadda Barrage, a key part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, nailed the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led government for keeping under wraps the damage to the barrage.
It said that despite full knowledge that the structure started showing signs of damage in 2019 itself, even as similar damages were observed simultaneously at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, also part of the Kaleshwaram project, they were not revealed.
In its report, the V&E found that among several serious lapses were approvals issued for deviations from the design, but none of these were supported by an inspection by higher authorities. The barrage was inaugurated by then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on June 19, 2019, and since then, no operation or maintenance work has been carried out by either the agency (L&T) or the irrigation department.
The inquiry also found that the irrigation department did not carry out work in the specified sequential manner. The inquiry found that measurement books and other connected records on Block-7 of the Medigadda barrage, whose breaking up and sinking resulted in the shoddy work on Kaleshwaram coming to light, also made notes of how the raft and secant piles were not laid sequentially, it was learnt.
According to sources, the investigations discovered that as per Indian Standard Code IS 7349:2012, the operations and maintenance clauses 5.3.1 and 5.3.2, the dam owner — in this case, the irrigation department — was supposed to undertake sounding and probing the apron area immediately after every monsoon. This was not undertaken, the report noted.
The trouble for Medigadda, however, did not end there. Sources said the probe also found that the coffer dam, along with sheet piles erected during the barrage’s construction, were not removed before the barrage was pressed into service by impounding water. Even the overburden on the upstream and downstream sides of the barrage was not trimmed to the specified levels, as recommended in the 3D model study for the barrage.
Also coming under fire was L&T, which, the investigation found, did not complete the works as per one of the agreement conditions. Though the V&E report found these and other lapses, it is also learnt to have stated that it was in the process of acquiring equivalent records of other major barrages to compare the completion certificates and repair processes that were followed.
Finally, the V&E informed the government that with serious allegations that the construction of Block Nos. 6, 7 and 8 were built by an agency subcontracted by L&T, it has begun digging into the payments by verifying accounts to establish if these allegations are true.
In what could be a possible likely indication of collusion, the report is learnt to have informed the government that the engineer-in-chief, C. Muralidhar, had issued a letter on November 11, 2020, declaring that the defect liability period will come into effect from February 29, 2020, and recommended the release of bank guarantees to the agency despite pending works.
The probe report recommended disciplinary action against Muralidhar on this count, it is learnt.
The report finally noted that an examination of project designs and drawings, geological investigations and the structural integrity of all RCC elements is essential and it recommended that an expert committee be set up to determine the causes of failure of the Medigadda barrage.
With the investigation requiring a serious engineering evaluation, the V&E is also learnt to have requested the government to release funds for hiring two engineers and two chartered accountants on a contract basis to support the inquiry.
This is pending with the government and the same needs to be expedited, it said.
