NDSA Team Begins Visit to Stricken Barrages

The countdown to the future of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages — and that of the Kaleshwaram project in its entirety — began on Wednesday with an expert team from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) arriving in the state for a four-day visit to inspect the barrages. The NDSA team is in the state at the invitation of the state government, which wants to explore every possibility for rehabilitating the damaged Medigadda barrage, as well as the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which are also facing serious structural stability threats.

The six-member NDSA team is led by former Central Water Commission chairperson J. Chandrashekar Iyer. The NDSA, while constituting the committee, gave the team four months to submit its report. However, with fears of the impact of increased river flows during this year’s monsoon, especially at Medigadda where a portion of the barrage developed serious cracks and has sunk, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the NDSA team was requested to provide an interim report at the earliest to suggest ways to save the barrages.

After a meeting with the NDSA team and senior irrigation department officials, Uttam reiterated that the state government will fully cooperate with the experts and instructions have been issued to share any information sought by



the team. “If anyone does not provide the records or information sought by NDSA, the government will take stringent action against such persons,” he said.

“The government is committed to do all it can to ensure the barrages get back to working condition. We are ready to take up the required repairs. Once the NDSA tells us how to go about it, we will take up work as per its suggestions,” Uttam said.

The minister also said that the NDSA was requested to use the latest available technologies for damage and risk assessment. “If we can bring the barrages back into action, that will be good for the state. And if it can be done before the rains begin, that will be even better,” he said. On the responsibility of the contracting company L&T, which built the Medigadda barrage, and the damages to the structure, Uttam said if the company is found to have committed mistakes, action would be taken. “L&T has several businesses and projects in Telangana. We are going as per law. The company that built the barrage should have responsibility,” he said, adding there will be progress soon on the issue of launching a judicial inquiry into the sinking of the Medigadda barrage, and the damages to the Annaram and Sundilla barrages.