NDSA orders urgent repairs on Singur Dam; State scales down storage by 10 TMC

The National Dam Safety Authority has warned of serious structural damage to Singur Dam, ordering urgent repairs and reduced storage to 20 TMC. Officials cautioned that a breach could flood downstream areas, urging residents and farmers along the Manjeera River to stay alert.

Hyderabad: The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has issued an urgent directive to the State government to address critical structural issues in the Singur Dam, a major source of drinking water for Hyderabad and irrigation for Medak and Nizamabad districts. The Irrigation Department has already decided to reduce the dam’s live storage to 20 TMC, well below its gross capacity of 29.91 TMC, to address pressure on the structure.

In a letter to the Engineer-in-Chief of the State Irrigation Department, the NDSA Southern Region Director called for immediate repair work to prevent a potential disaster. The NDSA identified severe damage to the dam’s earthen embankments and revetments apart from cracks in the parapet wall and embankment top, which threaten the dam’s stability.

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A breach could have catastrophic consequences, including flooding in downstream areas like Sangareddy, Medak, and villages along the Manjeera River, as well as damage to the Nizam Sagar and Manjeera dams and other check dams downstream.

Following a June 23 inspection, the Dam Safety Review Panel (DSRP) noted that excessive water storage, often exceeding 522 metres after the reservoir’s capacity was raised to 520.50 metres to meet local water needs, has stressed the dam and worsened its condition. The NDSA recommended immediate temporary measures, such as reinforcing damaged areas with sandbags, followed by permanent repairs post-monsoon. It has also directed authorities to cap water storage at 22 TMC to reduce structural strain. But the dam authorities preferred further reduction in the storage to 20 TMC only, as a precautionary measure.

Irrigation officials have urged residents and farmers along the Manjeera River to stay vigilant as repair efforts begin to avert a crisis.