NDSA, State Teams Meet; Using KLIS Barrages for Now Not Part of Discussions

Hyderabad:Any hopes the opposition parties may have had that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) may give the go ahead for using the Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) to pump water to Yellampalli reservoir on Godavari river came undone on Friday as the issue did not figure in the discussions state irrigation officials had with a NDSA technical oversight committee in New Delhi on Friday.

The committee was set up to assist the state government on the way forward on the barrages. Use of these two barrages has been a consistent demand from Opposition parties to pump water up to Yellampalli reservoir and then on to the rest of the KLIS system.

Friday’s meeting was focused on the various tests so far, and the results from the tests and planning the next steps towards preparing designs for repairing Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, a source said.

It was, however, learnt that the NDSA officials questioned the irrigation department on the ‘detailed’ testing undertaken at the three barrages. Sources said that the state team, led by irrigation principal secretary E. Sridhar who met with the committee, informed the NDSA officials, that though the tests may seem somewhat overdone, they were essential to establish baseline data on various parameters which will help in modelling studies as designs for the repairs of the barrages get underway.

The two sides will meet again in a month to start examining detailed repair drawings for the barrages.