Pursue NDSA To Expedite Kaleshwaram Barrage Report: Uttam to Officials

Hyderabad: With the monsoon season half gone and plans for repairs of the Kaleshwaram project barrages yet to take a final shape, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday directed the department officials to pursue with the National Dam Safety Authority on the issue of receiving a final report on the way forward on the barrages.

The minister, who chaired a meeting on the Kaleshwaram barrages, seeking permissions from Chhattisgarh for the Sammakka-Sarakka project, among other issues, said the NDSA should be asked for its final report for taking up repairs at the Sundilla, Annaram, and Medigadda barrages. The officials were told to ensure all related reports on all the pre-monsoon investigations at the three barrages have reached the NDSA so it can get its report ready and give to the state government.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also directed officials to pursue inter-state issues, including possible submergence areas in Chhattisgarh when the Sammakka-Sarakka barrage is built and pave the way for the project as directed by the Central Water Commission. He also asked officials to move ahead with plans to hire Laskars for maintenance of irrigation tanks and canals.

The meeting was attended by irrigation principal secretary Rahul Bojja, adviser to the government on irrigation Aditya Nath Das, and senior engineers and officials from the irrigation department.