NDSA constitutes committee for Kaleshwaram; to submit report in four months

The committee will hold discussions with the stakeholders of the project for holistic appreciation of the site-related issues and ascertain the hydraulic, structural and geo-technical aspects of the three barrages.

Hyderabad: The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), as requested by the State government, has constituted a six-member committee for inspection and study of the designs and construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

The committee, headed by J Chandrashekar Iyer, former chairman of Central Water Commission, will examine the causes leading to the sinking of Medigadda barrage pillars, along with the causes of distress, if any, observed in the two upstream barrages, Annaram and Sundilla.  It will submit its report to the national dam safety authority in four months.

---

The committee will hold discussions with the stakeholders of the project for holistic appreciation of the site-related issues and ascertain the hydraulic, structural and geo-technical aspects of the three barrages. It will also examine the project data, drawings, design memoranda tests and site investigation reports, barrage inspection reports and other material related to design, construction, quality control and quality assurance of three barrages.

The committee will also interact with the agencies in government and public sector undertakings  and even from private sector that were responsible for site investigations, designs and maintenance of the three barrages. The panel will recommend measures to be initiated and further studies to be conducted to address and mitigate the distress conditions along with measures to prevent recurrence of such issues.

The committee has U.C. Vidyarthi, scientist, Central Soil and Materials Research Station Pune), R Patil, scientist, Central water and Power Research Station, Shiv Kumar Sharma (CWC), Rahul Kumar Singh, Director (NDSA) and Amitabh Meena, Director, NDSA as the official members.

Three piers of the Medigadda barrage were found sunken on the night of October 21, 2023. Accordingly, in keeping with the provisions of the Dam Safety Act 2021, the NDSA conducted its first round of inspection by deputing an expert team. The congress government has requested the NDSA for a fresh study of the barrage structure for taking up rehabilitation work.