The expert team from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), led by J. Chandrashekhar Iyer, former Chairperson of the Central Water Commission, convened on Thursday at the Irrigation & CAD Department’s office (Jala Soudha) in the city to scrutinise the construction process of the barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).
Representatives from the construction agencies, project construction authorities, operation and maintenance (O&M) wing, investigation agencies, post-investigation agencies, along with officials from the Central Design Organisation (CDO) and the quality control and investigation authorities, faced questioning from the NDSA team.
They were quizzed individually and in a detailed form. Sources revealed that officials from the CDO affirmed adherence to due procedures. When questioned about external involvement in the design process, CDO officials denied any such influence, asserting compliance with Indian Standard (IS) codes. Notably, they admitted to abstaining from field visits due to a lack of authorisation. It is said that the officials had noticed leakages in the Sundilla barrage in 2019 and took steps. They also said that they had conducted a survey using LiDAR technology before finalizing the site for the barrages.
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