Telangana Urges NDSA to Ensure Srisailam Dam Safety

The need for the repairs was discussed by senior irrigation department officials with a team of NDSA members headed by its chairman Anil Jain who was in the city on Wednesday. It is learnt that Telangana officials informed Jain that so far AP has not taken any steps to repair the huge plunge pool void next to the dam though this issue was taken to NDSA’s notice three months ago. The NDSA officials, who visited the Srisailam dam on Tuesday, reportedly assured Telangana that AP will take up the repairs, likely by filling up the plunge pool hole with tetrapods as an immediate safety measure to cut the velocity of the water when released from the dam.

The NDSA is also learnt to have told the Telangana irrigation officials to prepare emergency action plans and dam break analysis for all dams in the state, and the officials assured the NDSA that this will be done. Also discussed at the meeting was the safety of Nagarjunasagar dam with Telangana officials pointing out that the dam was not under their control as the CRPF was controlling it. However, Jain informed them as the dam belongs to Telangana, the state was responsible for taking up repairs needed to keep the dam safe.

To a request from the officials that NDSA should give specific directions for repairs or other works needed at the Kaleshwaram barrages as it did not include any such directives in its report, the NDSA chairman is learnt to have asked the officials to meet with NDSA officials in Delhi to discuss this subject.