Dams safety evaluation exercise takes backseat in Telangana

Telangana has made little progress on its mandated dam safety evaluation despite a looming 2026 deadline. The Centre has urged the state to prioritise the exercise, but focus remains on Kaleshwaram’s barrages, leaving other critical projects unattended

Hyderabad: Despite increasing national scrutiny over the safety of ageing dam infrastructure, especially in states with high-risk reservoirs, Telangana has paid little attention to this priority in the past two years. Under Section 38(1) of the Dam Safety Act, all states must complete the first Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) for existing specified dams by December 2026, leaving Telangana with just 15 months to comply.

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), which provides technical guidance and support for these evaluations, has repeatedly urged the state to prioritise the allocation of technical expertise and financial resources. However, these efforts have shown little progress. Telangana oversees 173 dams, classified as large structures over 15 metres in height or with significant storage capacity, including some minor irrigation dams.

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The Dam Safety Act mandates CDSEs for all specified projects, often requiring the involvement of domestic and international experts. Yet, the cash-strapped Irrigation Department has struggled to take up this task since the Congress party assumed power in late 2023. Instead, its focus has largely been on the barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, particularly the sagging pillars at Medigadda. Beyond the public concern over Medigadda, progress on the project’s three key barrages has been limited.

This situation has sidelined safety evaluations for other projects that need urgent attention. During the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime, evaluations were completed for several key projects, along with dam-specific action plans to address vulnerabilities. Notably, CDSEs were finished well in advance for Godavari basin projects, including the ageing Sri Ram Sagar and Nizam Sagar reservoirs.

However, the Congress government, preoccupied with its political scrutiny of Kaleshwaram, has overlooked other major dams needing immediate focus. The key priorities include preparing project-wise status reports, developing repair plans, and assigning accountability to the executing agencies. Drawing the attention of the state to its priorities, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Paatil wrote a letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on October 17, 2025, stressing the urgency of dam safety measures.

In response, the Chief Minister held a review meeting with senior Irrigation Department officials four days ago. A follow-up session is scheduled for the second week of November to finalise action plans and timelines. With the deadline approaching, swift and coordinated efforts are essential to safeguard Telangana’s vital water infrastructure. But against the backdrop of the intense political scrutiny from the Congress government, senior officials with the required expertise are reportedly reluctant to take up these critical responsibilities at this crucial time.