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Six-member committee inspects Kaleshwaram project for any damages
As per the terms and conditions laid down for the committee, it will conduct inspections of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project
A six-member National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) panel on Wednesday reached Hyderabad to study the damages caused to the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme on Godavari river. The development comes after the Telangana government requested that the panel complete its probe at the earliest, to carry out the repairs before the flood season starts.
A six-member committee, constituted by the NDSA and headed by former chairman of central water commission J Chandrasekhar Iyer and comprising other experts including UC Vidyarthi from Central Soil and Materials Research Station, New Delhi, R Patil from Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, Shiv Kumar Sharma from Central Water Commission, New Delhi, Rahul Kumar Singh from NDSA and Amitabh Meena, Director (Technical) of NDSA, landed in Hyderabad in the morning to inspect the project and suggest remedial measures.
State irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy held discussions with the members of the expert committee at the state secretariat and gave them a powerpoint presentation on the present status of Kaleshwaram project.
As per the terms and conditions laid down for the committee, it will conduct inspections of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project, hold discussions with concerned stakeholders for holistic appreciation of site-related issues, and ascertain the hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical aspects of the three barrages.
The committee will also examine the causes leading to the sinking of Medigadda barrage on October 21 last, as well as any other distress that is observed, apart from examining the causes of distress that may be observed in the other two upstream barrages. It will recommend measures or further studies/ investigations to address and mitigate the distress condition of the three barrages, and to recommend measures to prevent recurrence of such issues.
“The committee is expected to submit its report to the NDSA within four months, but we have asked them to submit the interim investigation report at the earliest along with recommendations to repair the damaged portions of the project, if possible,” the irrigation minister told reporters after the meeting with the expert committee.
Stating that the state government would extend all possible assistance to the committee to restore the barrage, Reddy said all steps would be taken to restore the Medigadda barrage at the earliest, so that there would be no hassles in releasing water to the command area under the project during the Kharif season.
The irrigation minister said the government had asked the committee to find out the exact reasons for the damages caused to Medigadda barrage and who should be held responsible for the same. “We are ready to repair the damages before the beginning of the flood season and hence, asked the experts to suggest measures to be taken for the same,” he added.
