KLIS Barrages Repairs From Mid-November: Uttam
These interventions are intended to address deficiencies in the earlier energy-dissipation arrangements: irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy
HYDERABAD: Work to repair the three stricken barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) at Medigadda, Annarm and Sundilla would begin by mid-November, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Saturday.
The minister said the comprehensive rehabilitation of the barrages would be completed before the onset of 2027 monsoon, and that all the designs for restoring the safety and operational reliability of the three barrages were ready. The minister’s comments came at a review with senior irrigation officials at his official camp office.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the rehabilitation scheme prepared by the project designer included strengthening the foundations through grouting, extending the stilling basins and constructing fresh cutoff walls. These interventions are intended to address deficiencies in the earlier energy-dissipation arrangements, foundation stability and under-seepage control.
All repair and rehabilitation designs took into consideration concerns raised by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and other expert bodies regarding the safety of the barrages. These designs will be placed before the Central Water Commission (CWC) technical oversight committee on October 5, the minister said.
Right now, the repair designs were undergoing validation through computational fluid dynamics modelling at the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, which will assess hydraulic behaviour and verify the efficiency of the proposed energy-dissipation measures under different flow conditions, he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy directed irrigation officials to complete all preparatory work simultaneously so that there would be no delay after technical clearance was received. The irrigation and command area development department was preparing detailed cost estimates and finalising the contractual mechanism required for government approval, he said.
He said all work would include stringent quality-control procedures, independent testing and clearly defined timelines with senior officials monitoring progress of work. Making it clear that the government’s priority was to restore the barrages through technically sound and durable interventions, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the barrages would be operated only after the rehabilitation works are completed and the requisite safety clearances are received from the national authorities.
