Telangana: Panel Set Up, Told Report Needed in 7 Days

 Hyderabad: The government has set up a seven-member technical committee to study the proposal from the irrigation department to deplete the Singur reservoir for taking up urgent works. The committee has been given seven days to submit its report to the government on the way forward.

This follows the November 11 review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao during which the irrigation department made it clear that unless urgent repairs were taken up at the dam, the structure could face catastrophic failure and that this threat is “imminent.”

The order setting up the committee, issued by principal secretary irrigation Rahul Bojja on Friday, said that to undertake these works safely, depletion of the reservoir up to the crest level was proposed and “keeping in view the gravity of the situation and the statutory obligations under the Dam Safety Act, 2021”. As per theinstructions of the Chief Secretary, a technical committee was being set up to study the issue as “the proposed depletion of the Singur reservoir is likely to affect the drinking water supply to Hyderabad city and other areas served by HMWS&SB and Mission Bhagiratha.”

The order said the Dam Safety Review Panel, the National Dam Safety Authority, and the State Dam Safety Organisation, during their inspections, observed “critical distress in the upstream revetment and earthen embankment” of the Singur dam, “necessitating immediate and comprehensive rehabilitation works.”

The technical committee, comprises engineer-in-chief (ENC) (general) of the irrigation and command area development department as its chairman. It will have as its members ENC chief (operations & maintenance), irrigation, Krupakar Reddy; ENC Mission Bhageeratha; chief engineer, Central Designs Organisation of the irrigation department D. Sudharshan; director (technical), HMWS&SB M. Brijesh; CGM (E), HMWS&SB. The chief engineer (1), Sangareddy, will be the member convener.