Telangana govt looking to auction Medigadda barrage sand dunes

The Congress government here appears to have an eye on the sand dunes at the Medigadda barrage to make some money.

Hyderabad: After blaming the previous BRS government for constructing the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, the largest of its kind in the world, and also calling it a waste of money, the Congress government here appears to have an eye on the sand dunes at the Medigadda barrage to make some money.

The barrage, a crucial part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, which has been the focal point of a major political controversy in the State, is likely to become a crucial source of revenue for the Congress government, with plans being chalked out to generate over Rs.800 crore from the sand that could be extracted from the Medigadda barrage.

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Since water was released downstream from the barrage after three of the pillars sunk, huge sand dunes got accumulated in the upper part of the project. The State government is now reportedly planning to auction these sand dunes. It is learnt that the Telangana Mineral Development Corporation Limited (TGMDCL) has been asked to auction 14 sand blocks located in the Medigadda barrage. An official of the corporation confirmed that talks about auctioning the sand dunes accumulated at the Medigadda barrage were going on at the higher level and that once a green signal was given by the government, the corporation would invite tenders to auction the sand blocks in July.

The TGMDC is learned to have said that if there were no obstacles in extraction of the sand, the State government could generate huge revenue through auction of the sand. Meanwhile, it is learnt that district level sand committees have started looking for sand blocks in Annaram and Sundilla barrages as well.

Though the State government made a lot of hue and cry over the expenditure on the repair of the Medigadda barrage, it now appears to have no qualms in using the sand accumulated at the barrage for generating revenue. The Medigadda barrage had developed cracks last October and citing the repair works, the government had released the entire water from the barrage. Following this, the sand dunes accumulated around the barrage and now this has become a boon for the State government.