Telangana to begin restoration of three Kaleshwaram barrages in December
Hyderabad, Nov 5 (TNT): The Telangana government has accorded top priority to the safety and restoration of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which form part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directing officials to commence rehabilitation works in December in accordance with recommendations of central government agencies and dam safety experts.
At a review meeting with ministers and irrigation department officials here, the Chief Minister said there would be no compromise on the safety of the three barrages and directed officials to expedite the restoration process while strictly adhering to the guidelines of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
The proposed restoration works are estimated to cost around Rs. 4,193 crore.
The Chief Minister directed officials to obtain the necessary final clearances by the end of November and ensure that works commence before the end of this year.
He also asked them to carry out all preparatory processes simultaneously to avoid delays.
Officials informed the meeting that comprehensive investigations into the condition of the three barrages had been completed with the assistance of national-level experts and central government technical institutions.
An expert committee constituted by the Centre had also given in-principle approval to the preliminary restoration proposals.
Under the proposed arrangement, construction companies concerned would bear the cost of repairs relating to structural defects, while the state government would meet the expenditure on additional works.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to divide the restoration programme into two phases, covering restoration of the water-holding capacity of the barrages and implementation of protective measures.
Referring to allegations that Godavari water available at Medigadda was not being utilised, irrigation engineers explained that lifting water from the barrage was technically unfeasible under the present conditions.
They said water lifted from Medigadda could reach Yellampalli only if the gates of Annaram and Sundilla were closed, while the NDSA had advised that the gates of the two barrages be kept open due to structural defects.
Revanth Reddy said the government had ensured optimal utilisation of downstream Godavari waters through the Devadula and Sitarama lift irrigation schemes. These schemes had helped provide irrigation and drinking water to command areas across the erstwhile Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.
The average annual water lifting through the Devadula scheme increased from 9.57 TMC during the previous government’s tenure to 18.13 TMC over the last three years, registering an increase of 89 per cent, he said.
By October this year, 16.71 TMC had been lifted through Devadula and another 8.10 TMC through the Sitarama scheme, taking the total utilisation to 24.81 TMC.
The Chief Minister said the sinking of the Medigadda barrage was a consequence of shortcomings in its construction during the previous administration and stressed the need to ensure that such lapses were not repeated.
He further observed that completion of the Pranahita project, including construction of a barrage at Tummidihetti, would have helped the region overcome water shortages during drought conditions and enabled diversion of Pranahita waters to Yellampalli at a lower cost.
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Secretary Sridhar, Secretary for Tunnels and Safety Colonel Parikshit Mehra and Joint Secretary Srinivas attended the meeting.
TNT TS
