National Dam Safety Authority asks Telangana Government to submit details of Lakshmi Barrage by Sunday

HYDERABAD: The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has written a letter to the Telangana State government to give information regarding the project by Sunday. The NDSA team visited the Lakshmi Barrage which is a part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) to ascertain reasons for the sagging of pillars at Pier 20 of the Barrage.

In its letter to the State Government, the NDSA on Saturday said that any delay in this regard would be considered that the State had no information, about the details that the team had asked for.

The central authority asked for 20 types of information regarding the construction of Medigadda Barrage such as project quality, geological study, contractor liability, etc.

The Dam Safety Authority while setting a deadline for the state government to provide complete information regarding the Kaleswaram project by Sunday warned that further action would be taken as per the Act.

Lakshmi Barrage monolithic says Government

On the other hand, Dr Rajatkumar, Special Chief Secretary of Irrigation Department clarified that the details requested by the National Dam Safety Authority have been submitted and that there were no problems in the design and construction of Medigadda Barrage.

He made it clear the project would have been washed away if there were any structural lacunae. He reminded the central authorities that there were problems in the Farakka and Dhavaleswaram barrages in the past. He said that the barrage was constructed with a monolithic design and the barrage also withstood the heavy floods last year.

He said that if the barrage was constructed with eight blocks, problems were identified in pier numbers 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the seventh block. He explained that first a coffer dam would be constructed and the flood would be diverted from the upper areas. Then a ring main would be constructed around it and repair work would be started to identify the reasons for the sagging of the piers.

He said that the construction of the barrage would be on the riverbed and the foundation would be on sand. It is said that the sag was due to the movement of sand under the pillars. He said that the Central Design Organization should be allowed to oversee repairs.