Telangana Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has assured the six-member National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) experts team that arrived in Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon that the State Government would extend all cooperation in its task to find out the causes for the damage suffered by Medigadda Barrage of the Kaleshwaram project and also to study the status of other two barrages: Annaram and Sundila.
On their arrival from Delhi and Pune, the NDSA team members had a meeting with the authorities and engineers of the Irrigation Department including those given the responsibility of Kaleshwaram project. The experts team leader and former Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) J. Chandrashekhar Iyer is said to have sought various data including hydrology reports and drawings pertaining to the three barrages.
Official sources stated that the NDSA experts would take up sub-surface study of the strata at the Medigadda Barrage piers that have drifted on October 21, 2023 resulting in development of huge cracks on piers as well as the gates hoisting area, forcing the authorities to empty the barrage completely. Following the development of piping, seepage and leakages at a few places in the immediate downstream of the Annaram and Sundilla Barrages, the authorities have de-watered them too.
