Central team inspects Medigadda barrage, here is all about the project

A central team inspected the Medigadda barrage in Kaleshwaram project after the pillars of the barrage sunk. The central government has constituted a committee with six experts under the chairmanship of National Dam Safety Authority Anil Jain. The team inspected the project on Tuesday.

The committee will assess the strength of the barrage and the damage caused, along with the cause of the crack at the 20th pillar. It will report to the Central Hydropower Department after a comprehensive review. Kaleswaram ENC Venkateswarlu and representatives were accompanied by the central team.

At present the water level has reached the lowest level. A flood of 22,500 cusecs is released downstream from the top of the barrage through 57 gates. On the night of 21st of this month, the 20th pillar of the barrage sunk after a loud noise. Due to this, the bridge between the pillars 18, 19, 20 and 21 of B-Block has sunk by one foot.

Here is all you need to know about Kaleshwaram project

Going by the details of Medigadda barrage, it is is built at the inception of the project just downstream from the confluence of Pranahitha River that ensures a minimum assured flow of water, and it is responsible for the lifting of water from that point. The Saraswati Barrage and the Parvathi Pump House are also important components of the project, facilitating the lifting and channeling of water to the Sripadasagar-Ellampalli Reservoir and the Gayatri Pump House.

The inauguration of the Lakshmi Barrage took place in 2019, with the presence of the then Chief Ministers from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The Kaleswaram region has abundant water resources from the Godavari, whereas the same level of water availability may not be present upstream.

Despite Medigadda barrage pillars sunk, other pump houses continue to operate

Meanwhile, the Lakshmi Barrage is currently in a state of disrepair, leading to the temporary halt of water lifting from this specific barrage. The central team and the project operator, L&T which is overseeing the operations also inspected the project and should take necessary remedial measures. However, the other pump houses will continue their operations uninterrupted.

The impact of the damage to the Lakshmi Barrage would be significant if the river Godavari relies solely on Pranahitha water and does not experience floods. However, if there have been increased Godavari floods in the past two years with no dependence on Pranahitha water, the extent of the loss would be comparatively minimal.

The damage to the Lakshmi Barrage during a non-flood time is unprecedented in our country. The original design specified a maximum discharge capacity of 28.25 lakhs Cusecs, but last year's flood surpassed this capacity, reaching 28.7 lakhs Cusecs.

The KLIP (Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project), which is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana. It is currently the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project. The project includes a 1.6 km barrage with a storage capacity of 16.17 TMC of water. The barrage is equipped with 85 Hydro Mechanical Radial Gates fixed between concrete pillars that are 110 m in length, 4 m / 6 m in width, and 25 m in height.

Additionally, the project team set a world record by pouring 25,584 cubic meters of concrete in 72 hours. The project aims to irrigate thousands of hectares of land and provide water to millions of people, including the citizens of Hyderabad. The Pranahita River, which is a convergence of several smaller tributaries, including the Wardha, Painganga, and Wainganga rivers, contributes to the project's water supply. However, the Pranahita River remains largely untapped due to its course passing through dense forests and ecologically sensitive zones such as wildlife sanctuaries.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) is a massive undertaking that spans approximately 500 km and covers 13 districts in Telangana. It is divided into 7 links and 28 packages, utilizing a canal network of over 1,800 km. The project aims to produce 240 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water, with allocations for irrigation, municipal water supply, industrial use, and drinking water.