TS Irrigation dept focuses on safety of dams as inflows dip in Godavari basin

Hyderabad: With inflows into major water bodies in Godavari river basin in north Telangana dropping significantly, officials of the Irrigation department are now focused on the safety of dams across the State as more rainfall is expected during peak monsoon in August and September. Senior officials, who deal with safety aspects of the dams in […]

Hyderabad: With inflows into major water bodies in Godavari river basin in north Telangana dropping significantly, officials of the Irrigation department are now focused on the safety of dams across the State as more rainfall is expected during peak monsoon in August and September.

Senior officials, who deal with safety aspects of the dams in the State, are collecting information from engineers working at each dam site as major water bodies received heavy inflows during the recent torrential rains.

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The water bodies would usually fill to the brim after the completion of the peak monsoon in August and September. But this time, the water bodies were filled within a few weeks after the onset of monsoon in July instead of peak monsoon.

Kaddam project, Gadenna Vagu and Swarna project in Adilabad, Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), Nizam Sagar, Kowlas Nala and Kalyani reservoir in Nizamabad, Sripada Yellampalli Project in Peddapalli, Mid Manair Dam in Karimnagar and Lakshmi barrage in Medigadda received heavy inflows this time.

A team comprising engineers from the dam safety wing inspected the Kaddam project a few days ago as branches of uprooted trees that came with flood water damaged gate number 10. As against the Full Reservoir Level of 700 ft, the dam received 705 ft.

As a result, water overflowed from gate number 10 and tree branches were stuck in the gate after which its belt also came off. The staff at the dam cleared the tree branches and ensured that the engineers carried out repair works in a hassle-free manner.

Seventeen gates that were opened at Kaddam project to discharge three lakh cusecs of water out of five lakh cusecs of inflows received two weeks ago continued to discharge water downstream.

No damage to Kaddam

“We inspected the dam thoroughly to find out damages, if any, to the structure. A team from Hyderabad also inspected the dam,” said Adilabad Irrigation Chief Engineer Deshpande Susheel Kumar. He said no breaches were found in the structure.

Before the commencement of the rainy season, the department has already carried out pre-monsoon inspections of the dams across the State. “We have already completed inspection of the Nizam Sagar project including the functioning of 48 gates and eight gates of Kowlas Nala Project,” said Kamareddy district Irrigation Chief Engineer, T Srinivas.