Kaleshwaram Barrages to be Operated Only After NDSA, CWC Clearance: Uttam

Nalgonda: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday said the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme would be operated only after completion of repairs and independent clearance from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Addressing a press conference at Vijay Vihar in Nagarjunasagar, he said the government’s priority was safety, sustainability and protection of public assets. “The barrages will not be operated until all required rectification works are completed. The rehabilitation plan will be strictly proof-checked by both the NDSA and CWC before any decision is taken,” he said.

He noted that the barrages involved a public investment of over Rs 1.1 lakh crore and said the government was responsible for safeguarding the expenditure. Cautioning against premature operation, he said around 40 villages, besides Bhadrachalam, could face risk if the structures were used without completing repairs.

The minister said a scientific approach was being followed for rehabilitation, including fresh geotechnical investigations, non-destructive testing, ground penetrating radar surveys, drone-based studies and more than 100 boreholes to assess structural condition. The barrages are currently maintained in an unloaded condition with all gates open, in line with NDSA recommendations.

He said international experts, the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) and the Central Water Commission were examining the rehabilitation designs to address all technical deficiencies before the barrages are put back into service.

On the safety of Nagarjunasagar dam, he said its maintenance and safe operation remained the government’s highest priority. He directed officials to ensure timely maintenance, strengthen canal infrastructure and expedite pending irrigation works. He also asked them to prepare estimates for essential works for early administrative sanction.

The minister instructed engineers to identify canal stretches requiring lining and take up works without delay, and to prepare proposals for covering open canals in urban areas to prevent garbage dumping and improve hygiene. He said irrigation works should be executed with focus on quality and speed, without compromising standards.

Referring to projects proposed during the previous BRS government, he said several lift irrigation schemes had remained on paper, and added that the present government was executing them and completing long-pending works in the Krishna basin.

Earlier, he inspected the Gullapothulagandi, Keshavapur and Nellikallu lift irrigation schemes. Nagarjuna Sagar MLA Kunduru Jayaveer, Miryalaguda MLA B. Laxma Reddy and MLC Kethavath Shankar Naik were present.