Uttam: Medigadda barrage will be operational by July 2027

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is moving ahead with a clear technical roadmap for the restoration of the damaged Kaleshwaram barrages, with a target to complete the repair works by the summer of 2027.This shifts the prior target date of May 31 ostensibly to allow consultants and experts more time to complete critical investigations as well as technical studies relating to three damaged barrages and prepare safety reports.

As per the action plan, the government has set July 2027 as the new deadline to complete the repairs of the Medigaddaand make the barrage operational. The rehabilitation works of Medigadda and the other damaged barrages viz. Annaram and Sundilla, will start by October this year.

For the unversed, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a multi-purpose project on the Godavari river in Bhupalpally district. Damage to three of its barrages -- built during the previous BRS regime -- was attributed to design deficiencies, inadequate geotechnical investigations, and construction flaws, becoming a major issue during the 2023 Assembly election.

Detailed restoration designs would be prepared and submitted to the Central Water Commission and the National Dam Safety Authority for approval by August this year.

State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who visited Medigadda on Wednesday, reviewed the progress of investigations, testing, and rehabilitation planning at the project site.

The Minister said the ongoing investigations, hydrological studies, ground penetrating radar (GPR) tests, geotechnical borehole studies, and other technical assessments were being taken up on a fast-track basis.

The Minister said most of the preliminary investigations had already been completed and the remaining studies were expected to be completed by the end of June or the first week of July.

The Minister said that the actual rehabilitation works were likely to begin after the monsoon season, possibly by the end of November or in the first week of December. The government would make every effort to complete the works in one working season and restore the barrages by the summer of 2027.

He pointed out that the damage to the barrages occurred in October 2023, during the previous government’s tenure. Central agencies later found serious deficiencies in design, construction, and operation, he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said Colonel Parikshit Mehra, an experienced officer with strong technical expertise, had been appointed Chairman of the Revival Coordination Team to guide and monitor the rehabilitation process.

The GPR tests were almost 80 to 90 per cent complete across the three barrages. Borehole and geotechnical investigations were also nearly 75 to 80 per cent complete and were expected to be completed by the end of June. Some boreholes had been taken to depths of 40 to 80 metres to get deeper geological data.