Medigadda coffer-dam work to start on Monday

The coffer dam, a temporary structure which can help maintain a dry work area for taking up the rehabilitation work in the affected stretches of the structure, would be built covering the impacted stretches due to sinking of the piers in Block no 7 for diverting water.

Hyderabad: The stage is set for construction of a cofferdam at the Medigadda barrage. Machine and material have reached the site and the work will start on Monday, according to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project Engineer-in-Chief N Venkateswarlu. The L&T, which implemented the Medigadda barrage work, also has come forward to take up the rehabilitation work.

The coffer dam, a temporary structure which can help maintain a dry work area for taking up the rehabilitation work in the affected stretches of the structure, would be built covering the impacted stretches due to sinking of the piers in Block no 7 for diverting water. The inflow into the project is over 24000 cusecs and efforts are being made to let out more volume to empty the project facilitating physical inspection of the structure for ascertaining the factors that contributed to sinking of the pillars.

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The primary objective of the cofferdam is to divert water from the construction area. It will also help maintain the desired water levels in the dam to facilitate pumping as and when required.

Irrigation Department officials are hopeful that the work on the cofferdam would be completed well before the end of this month. Once the cofferdam was ready, water pumping could be resumed to provide water for the crops in the entire ayacut of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme without any disruption in the irrigation schedule for Rabi.

Despite problems with the piers, nothing would come in the way of lifting water from the project, officials said. However, there is no need for any more water at this juncture as sufficient water levels were being maintained in all the upstream projects including Mid Manair. The Kharif harvest is in progress and once the preparatory activity starts for Yesangi, the need for irrigation would be felt, they said.