Lakshmi pump house lying idle since October 2023

The motors were last operated in July last year and about 9 TMC of water was pumped from the pump house.

Karimnagar: It has been nearly a year since the motors at Lakshmi Pump house (Kannepally) have been operated to pump water.

The motors were last operated in July last year and about 9 TMC of water was pumped from the pump house. Since the launch of the project in 2019, nearly 160 TMC was lifted from Medigadda to Annaram. Due to the unprecedented floods in River Godavari during the monsoon in 2022, the Lakshmi Pump house got inundated. After the agency took up restoration works, it was recommissioned on December 12, 2022. Since the restoration of the pumphouse, nearly 35 TMC of water was lifted from Medigadda to Annaram between January 1, 2023 and July 18, 2023.

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However, after two pillars sank at the Medigadda barrage in October last, the motors have not been operated. Since then, officials have been conducting test runs and ensuring that all the components were in condition to commence pumping at any given time. To ensure this, every month, Rs.1 crore is being spent towards maintenance of the components, an Irrigation official said.

Year	Water lifted(in TMC)
2019-20	57.06
2020-21	36.44
2021-22	28.96
2022-23	26.50
2023-24	13.40
Total	162.36

Another task that is lying ahead for the officials is repairs of the two pillars that had sunk last October.

“It is a policy decision, which has to be taken by the State government. By Diwali, if the government in consultation with the National Dam Safety Authority finalises the action plan for the repair works to be executed, then those works can be executed from November,” the official said.

“If repair works are commenced from this year end, they might continue till May next year. June will be considered as buffer month and by that time, at least safety level works should be completed as works cannot be executed during the monsoon,” the official added.