Where is the need for EOI for rehabilitation of Medigadda, asks V Prakash Rao

River water activist V Prakash Rao said there is no need for an EOI or fresh tenders for KLIP rehabilitation. Only the Medigadda barrage block needs repair. He linked delays to politics and called the EOI an election gimmick.

Hyderabad: “There is no need for any expression of interest (EOI) call for rehabilitation and restoration designs for the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). There is no need for fresh tenders either,” said V Prakash Rao, river water activist and former chairman of the Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation.

Reacting to the State government’s call for the EOI, he emphasized that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommendations were clear. Only the impacted block of the Medigadda barrage needs rehabilitation or reconstruction.

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“There’s no scope for redesigning just one block. If the government opts for any sort of rehabilitation and restoration designs, that has to be viewed as engineering nonsense. Redesign is needed only if the entire barrage is reconstructed, which the NDSA did not endorse,” he explained. He added, “This lopsided perception is deliberate.”

“The only viable option before the government is to fix that single block in Medigadda barrage without fanfare. As for the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, the issues will not come in the way of putting them into operation. The real problem is L&T’s refusal to yield to political demands,” he said.

Rao pointed out that L&T is contractually obligated to reconstruct the block and is ready to start work immediately. “The intention behind this EOI is to avoid L&T, which does not entertain commissions or gratifications. If other agencies are roped in, that’s when commissions can flow,” he said, adding that the delay has already cost the State dearly.

He linked the standoff to broader interstate water politics. “The Congress wants Telangana’s share of Godavari waters constantly drained to build storage for Polavaram, which won’t be ready for another two years. Until Andhra Pradesh’s requirements are met, Telangana’s needs won’t be a priority.”

Rao also dismissed the revival of the Pranahita-Chevella project as a “short-sighted approach that ignores ground realities.”

“This EOI is an election gimmick to placate farmers ahead of local body polls. Farmers across the KLIP command area are fuming,” he said, adding that KLIP has been a lifeline for Telangana’s farm sector since its operationalisation in 2019.