Delays dog Medigadda barrage as L&T is still buying time

Hyderabad: The repair works of the damaged Medigadda barrage in Kaleshwaram project would be delayed further as the contract agency L and T Company has not yet responded to the state government’s demand to bear the cost of the repairs. Soon after the consultancy agency finalised the designs for the repairs, the government will take action.

Irrigation officials said that the government served notices on the company two times seeking its active intervention in the repair of the damaged barrage.

The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, has submitted its site inspection report, along with a schedule of works for all three barrages --Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla--a three-member team prepared a separate report on Medigadda barrage.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has clearly stated that Medigadda barrage was put in category -1 under most serious threat. The Union Government suggested to the state government to implement various preventive and mitigating measures recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority to safeguard the structure’s integrity and resilience, officials said that the contract agency was liable for punishment if it failed to take up repairs of the damaged parts of the barrage.

The proposal to take up the Pranahita Chevell project would also be finalised once the Meddigadda issue is solved. Initially, the state government planned to abandon the barrage . After a careful study considering the NDSA recommendation, the proposal to revive the damaged Medigadda barrage was alive.