Early inflows in Godavari likely to impact works on KLIP barrages

The Southwest monsoon has also advanced up to South Bay of Bengal. If the inflows into the KLIP barrages are heavy, there will be no scope to carry any sort of works this year.

Hyderabad: Even as the stage has been set to take up the interim works on the Medigadda Barrage of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) as recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) team in its preliminary report, uncertainty looms large over the progress of works.

Men and machinery have been mobilised to the site to clear the work in anticipation of getting at least three weeks to address the structural issues that resulted in sinking of the pillars in block no 7.

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The barrage that was emptied three months ago to facilitate end-to end investigation, is expected to receive inflows in a big way in the impact of heavy rains in the catchment area spread both in Maharashtra and Telangana.

The priority of the agency that is implementing the repairs would be the dismantling and removal of the impacted piers as recommended by the NDSA ahead of any flood situation, said officials of the irrigation Department.

It has started raining in Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidharba and Chhattisgarh. Sirpur area in Kumram Bheem district and Venkatapuram in Mulugu district have received 6 cm and 5 cm of rainfall during the past 24 hours. Several pockets of the Godavari catchment in Maharashtra are expected receive rainfall during the next four days as per the weather forecast.

The Southwest monsoon has also advanced up to South Bay of Bengal. If the inflows into the KLIP barrages are heavy, there will be no scope to carry any sort of works this year.

The seepage issues noticed in the Annaram and Sundilla barrages could be addressed only if adequate work time was available for the implementing agency, officials said.

The Medigadda barrage experienced significant flooding towards the end of June last year. But the inflows are expected well in advance this year.

The concern is more about the safety of the impacted structure of the Medigadda barrage which withstood the highest flood of 28 lakh cusecs in 2022. The sinking of Medigadda piers and leakage from Annaram barrage present a challenge for the Irrigation Department, said the officials.