The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has released a report highlighting various issues related to the Medigadda Barrage, which is a crucial component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana, India. The report points out multiple factors that have led to the piers of the barrage sinking, including deficiencies in planning, design, quality control, and operation and maintenance.
A six-member committee, led by a member of NDSA specializing in disaster and resilience, conducted a probe from October 23 to 25 to investigate the reasons for the piers’ settlement. The report has come amidst allegations of massive corruption in the Kaleshwaram project, which has been touted as the world’s largest lift irrigation project.
Key findings in the report include:
- Settlement Issues: The primary reason for the piers’ settlement is attributed to deficiencies in the construction of the barrage raft.
- Construction Deficiency: Construction shortcomings, such as the lack of stringent quality control during the construction of sub-surface contiguous secant piles and plinth connections between the raft and cut-offs, have been noted.
- Design Flaws: The report highlights that the barrage was designed as a floating structure but constructed as a rigid structure, which is one of the design flaws.
- Non-compliance: The dam owner has not conducted required sounding and probing in the apron area every year after the monsoon, and pre and post-monsoon inspections have not been carried out, violating the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
The report also underscores that the two barrages constructed upstream of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundila barrages, share similar designs and construction methods, making them susceptible to similar failure modes.
This report has given opposition parties additional grounds to intensify their criticism of the Telangana government over the Kaleshwaram project, with both the Congress and BJP labeling it as a major scandal.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti reacted to the report, stating, “Exposed! K Chandrashekar Rao led Telangana government’s corruption stands hopelessly exposed.” He expressed concern over the potential risk to the lives of thousands of people and the loss of taxpayers’ money due to corruption and mismanagement in the project.
