Tests Almost Done, Repair Designs Next, Says Uttam
Scientific investigations are near completion. Rehabilitation work is expected to begin by November
Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday said the comprehensive scientific investigations of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project were nearing completion. “The next stage of the work, the designs for rehabilitation of the barrages are now being prepared to enable their safe restoration,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said preliminary assessments indicated that construction of a diaphragm wall across the barrages could form part of the rehabilitation strategy. He clarified that the final repair methodology would be determined only after experts completed their evaluation of all investigation reports.
“The findings from the tests have been forwarded to IIT Bombay and its technical partners for preparing detailed repair and rehabilitation designs. This work is expected to be completed over the next few months,” he said.
In June, the minister had said that the repairs of the barrages will be completed by summer of 2027 and that work on their rehabilitation would begin sometime by November. The plan is to ensure that the barrages can become operational by the end of 2027 summer.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Union government had constituted a technical oversight committee to scrutinise the rehabilitation proposals before any repair works can be taken up. The Telangana government would implement the restoration programme strictly in accordance with the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the oversight committee, he added.
The tests included extensive investigations of the soil, foundations, concrete and other structural components and were carried out by premier national institutions, including the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).
He also made it clear that the Congress government will not permit operation of the barrages until experts certified them safe. The minister’s comments came at a meeting at Nalgonda of MLAs, MLCs and senior officials from Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts.
“Our objective is to restore these barrages and protect the huge public investment made in the project. We will bring them back into operation only after scientific testing, expert-designed rehabilitation and statutory safety clearance,” he said.
