Kaleshwaram rehabilitation: Implementation agencies, NDSA differ on observation of inadequacies

L&T, Afcons seek clarifications on National Dam Safety Authority's final report, cite "inconsistencies" and "contradictory points"

Hyderabad: Medigadda barrage contractor L&T has expressed disagreement with the National Dam Safety Authority ( NDSA) over some findings in its final report submitted to the State government, citing “inconsistencies” and “contradictory points”.

In a letter dated May 24, L&T highlighted issues such as perceived inadequacies in the NDSA’s geotechnical investigations, hydraulic and structural design assessments and quality control observations, according to irrigation officials. Specifically, L&T pointed out a contradiction in the NDSA report, which claimed no quality control procedures were implemented for the water tightness of cutoff walls, while elsewhere acknowledging that quality management programme documents were submitted by the implementation agency (L&T). The company has urged the NDSA to update its report and sought clarifications from the Telangana Irrigation Department on how to proceed with the recommended tests and repairs.

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Besides L&T, Afcons, the contractor for the Annaram barrage, also sought clarifications, stating that it could not proceed with repairs without a designated design agency specifying the required tests. The State government has yet to take a call on the issue and address differences to resolve these disputes amid ongoing consultations with the Central Water Commission and a state-appointed expert committee on the way forward for rehabilitation of the project.

The NDSA’s report, released earlier this year, claimed multiple deficiencies in the construction and upkeep of the Medigadda barrage, a key component of the project. It had made observations in respect of the hydraulic and structural designs, and quality control measures while highlighting the lack of procedures for ensuring the water tightness of cutoff walls. L&T disputed these claims while noting that the report contradicted itself by acknowledging the company’s submission of quality management programme documents.

The contractor argued that the NDSA’s conclusions were not supported by sufficient data and failed to reflect the project’s technical realities. The Medigadda barrage has been under intense scrutiny since December 2023, ever since the Congress government came to power in the State. The NDSA called for urgent repairs and additional geotechnical tests, attributing the damage partly to design and construction lapses.