NDSA team to visit Annaram and Medigadda shortly

The State government had made a request to the NDSA for deputing its team for an end-to-end inspection of the Annaram barrage where fresh seepage was detected last week.

Hyderabad: A team of experts from the the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) will visit Annaram barrage in a few days, according to Irrigation Department Officials. The team will be visiting Medigadda barrage also as part of its fresh stock taking mission.

The State government had made a request to the NDSA for deputing its team for an end-to-end inspection of the Annaram barrage where fresh seepage was detected last week. As desired by the NDSA, the barrage was drained overnight to facilitate inspection of its structure and identification of the source of seepage.

---

In the wake of mounting pressure for resuming pumping of Godavari water from the three barrages of the Kaleshwaram project for extending irrigation support to the Yasangi ayacut of the project, the State wrote to the NDSA seeking its support for a way forward. The government had made it clear that it would not take any risk by impounding water in the barrages at this stage.

Ahead of the NDSA visit, experts from the dam safety review panel (DSRP) and the State Dam Safety Organisation took stock of the seepage issues in Annaram barrage and the structural issues in the Medigadda on February 20. the DSRP team is expected to submit its report in a day or two to the State government. Its finding will be shared with the NDSA team, according to officials.

The corrective measures to be taken by the government would be based on the recommendations of the NDSA team. Whether water could be lifted from the Medigadda by completing the construction of coffer dam or not would be decided very soon, said the project officials.

No letter from L&T

In the meantime, the Irrigation secretary, Rahul Bojja denied to have received any fresh communication from the L&T, the agency that executed the Medigadda barrage, denying any contractual obligation on its part for taking up rehabilitation work. “No new letter from L&T has come to my notice”, he clarified.

Chief Engineer, Sudhakar Reddy in charge of the Medigadda Barrage clarified that the government had given its counter to every communication received so far from the L&T on the issue.