NDSA Submits Medigadda Barrage Report to Telangana HC, Urges Rehabilitation

Hyderabad: The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has informed the Telangana High Court that it completed its examination into the distress at the Medigadda barrage and submitted a report recommending comprehensive rehabilitation before the structure is opened for operations.

The findings were submitted in an affidavit during the hearing of a writ petition concerning the utilisation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). The petition, filed by S. Sharath, had urged the court to direct the NDSA to undertake a technical inspection of the barrages and associated infrastructure to evaluate their structural safety and restricted operational viability.

According to the NDSA report, the structural distress observed at the Medigadda barrage stemmed from a combination of deficiencies in planning, design, construction quality, and operation and maintenance. The authority advised that the structure must be rehabilitated before being put back into service, while also calling for an urgent examination of the Annaram and Sundilla barrages due to their similar design and construction features.

The affidavit noted that interim measures have been prescribed for the three barrages. At Medigadda, the committee recommended keeping the gates of Block-7 fully open prior to the monsoon to minimise hydraulic forces, as well as removing damaged gates adjacent to Pier No. 20 where necessary. Similar interim steps were proposed for both Annaram and Sundilla barrages.

The NDSA also informed the court that a technical oversight committee was constituted by the department of water resources, following a request by the state government regarding specific safety concerns. Headed by a member (technical) of the NDSA, the committee includes representatives from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) in Pune, and the Central Soil and Materials Research Station (CSMRS) in Delhi to oversee rehabilitation works taken up by Telangana.

Addressing the petitioner's claims that inaction by the authority caused water hardships for farmers, the NDSA denied the allegations, stating that issues relating to agricultural hardship are policy matters falling strictly within the domain of the state government. The authority reiterated that the State Dam Safety Organisation is responsible for issuing instructions on remedial and safety measures, and noted that rehabilitation works would remain subject to multi-layered technical scrutiny.