Sixth heavy flood season survived: Medigadda barrage holds strong amid political doubts

The Medigadda barrage has successfully weathered its sixth consecutive flood season, handling massive inflows from the Godavari. Despite structural concerns in Block 7, the barrage continues to function, prompting the Telangana government to issue Expressions of Interest for rehabilitation designs.

Hyderabad: The Medigadda barrage stands resilient against yet another spell of heavy floods in Godavari. It handled a staggering 5.35 lakh cusecs inflow, with all 85 gates kept open to discharge floodwaters downstream even on Thursday.

This marks the sixth consecutive flood season the structure has endured disproving doomsday predictions from Congress leaders. Designed for 28.25 lakh cusecs, it peaked at 28.70 lakh cusecs in 2022 and has since managed similar deluges from 2023 to 2025.

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Despite issues in Block 7, the barrage has once again demonstrated its operational viability while the State government called EOI for rehabilitation designs. The process will be finalised on October 15 and it will enable the agency entrusted with the task to prepare designs using NDSA guidelines.

“The data is important for the agency taking up the job,” said a senior engineer. But the exercise is seen as an eleventh-hour initiative, nearly two years after the incident. The KLIP’s direct irrigation support for over 18.5 lakh acres is at stake, he added.

The Expressions of Interest (EOI) invitation from professional agencies for rehabilitation designs of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages is expected to bring in submissions soon.

They will be depending mainly on the database compiled from a series of structural assessments conducted on the barrages by multiple national agencies. All the three barrages are currently discharging heavy flood flows and an end to end inspection to prepare the designs could be possible only after the flood waters receded.