Rock Blasting For Musi Project At Mallanna Sagar Threatens Reservoir: Harish
T. Harish Rao alleged that rock blasting near Mallanna Sagar reservoir for the Musi project was damaging its bund and threatening its safety.
Former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Thursday expressed alarm and alleged negligence by the HMWS&SB, in charge of building a sump near Mallannasagar reservoir, which requires blasting. This blasting of rocks close to the reservoir’s bund was threatening reservoir safety, he said.
“The blasts are dislodging the revetment. The bund has developed seepage. Though the irrigation department wrote to the water board which is in charge of taking Mallannasagar water to Musi for the river’s beautification project, the latter has not taken any action,” Harish Rao said.
Harish Rao, who visited the work site, said the blasting was occurring as close as 150 metres from the bund. The bund is 40 metres high. The rule is no activity within a distance of 10 times the height of the bund. Even beyond that distance, only controlled blasting is allowed, and only with permission from the irrigation, revenue and police departments, he said.
He said the police and revenue officials claimed they had no knowledge of the blasting, nor were aware of permission for use of explosives near the bund. “Stop the blasting and file non-bailable cases against the agency. Suspend the officials who allowed this,” he said.
There appears to be conspiracy by the government to damage the Mallanna Sagar project which irrigates 16,23,000 acres, and provides drinking water to 10 districts including Hyderabad, he said.
“Events here give credence to suspicions of a conspiracy against the Kaleshwaram project. When two pillars sank at the Medigadda barrage, people strongly suspected a blast was behind it. Engineers at the time complained that blasting had taken place,” Harish Rao said.
“Yesterday, the Thipparam sarpanch, Bhadrappa said the reservoir bund shakes every time there is a blast and that houses in his village a kilometre away, were developing cracks. The sarpanch says he was put under heavy pressure to give permission from the gram panchayat and was offered inducements but he did not give permission for the blasting,” Harish Rao said.