Kaleshwaram Barrages to be Operated Only After NDSA, CWC Clearance: Uttam
Nalgonda: Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla dams of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme will be operated only after completion of repairs and obtaining independent permission from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and Central Water Commission (CWC), irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference held at Vijay Vihar in Nagarjunasagar, he said the government’s priority is security, sustainability and protection of public assets. “The dams will not be operated until all necessary remedial works are completed. The rehabilitation plan will be strictly checked by both NDSA and CWC before any decision is taken,” he said.
He noted that the dams involved a public investment of over Rs 1.1 lakh crore and said the government was responsible for safeguarding the expenditure. Warning against early operation, the official said that if the structures are used before the repair is completed, about 40 villages outside Bhadrachalam may face risks.
The minister said a scientific approach was followed for the rehabilitation, including new geotechnical surveys, non-destructive testing, ground penetrating radar surveys, drone-based studies and more than 100 boreholes to assess the structural condition. The dams are currently kept unloaded with all gates open, in line with NDSA recommendations.
He said international experts, the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) and the Central Water Commission were examining the rehabilitation designs of the dams to address all technical deficiencies before they were put back into service.
On the safety of Nagarjunasagar dam, he said that maintenance and safe operation of the dam remains the top priority of the government. He instructed the authorities to carry out timely maintenance, strengthen the canal infrastructure and expedite the pending irrigation works. He also asked them to prepare estimates of the work required for early administrative enforcement.
The minister instructed engineers to initiate work without delay by identifying canal sections requiring lining and prepare recommendations for sealing open canals in urban areas to prevent garbage dumping and improve hygiene. He said that irrigation works should be carried out with a focus on quality and speed, without compromising standards.
Referring to the projects proposed during the previous BRS government, he said many lift irrigation schemes remain on paper and added that the current government is executing them and completing long-pending works in the Krishna basin.
He had earlier inspected Gullapothulagandi, Keshavapur and Nellikallu lift irrigation schemes. Nagarjuna Sagar MLA Kunduru Jayaveer, Miryalaguda MLA B. Laxma Reddy and MLC Kethavath Shankar Naik were present.
