Telangana's Irrigation Minister Reviews Dam Safety, Addresses Medigadda and Annaram Issues

Telangana's Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy met with National Dam Safety Authority officials to discuss Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. Key points included past construction issues, current status, and future actions. The government aims to reduce electricity costs and improve the Kaleshwaram Project's efficiency.

Telangana State Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy convened a crucial meeting on Saturday with officials from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) under the chairmanship of the NDSA chairman. The meeting, held in the national capital, focused on critical issues concerning the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.

Following the meeting, Reddy briefed the media at Telangana Bhavan in Delhi, highlighting, "We engaged in a comprehensive discussion for about two and a half hours with the dam safety officials. Topics included the tests conducted so far, completed works, and future actions for the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. Notably, no new irrigation area has been created with the Kaleshwaram Project."

Reddy criticized the previous administration for constructing the barrages without proper testing, noting that none can store more than 3-4 TMC of water. He pointed out design flaws, including the Medigadda barrage's allocation of 5 TMC for dead storage, Annaram project's significant seepage, and issues with Sundilla. Over five years, approximately 65 TMC of water has been pumped, averaging 13 TMC yearly. Had the project been built near Tummidi Hatti, electricity expenses, currently totaling about Rs 10,000 crore annually, would have been lower. The repair works, carried out by the original contractors as per NDSA recommendations, incur no additional government expense. The NDSA has suggested lifting the gates of the barrages and releasing water downstream, with most recommendations already implemented. Another meeting is scheduled for Monday to expedite the Kaleshwaram Project's full utilization.

Accompanying the minister were State Irrigation Department Advisor Aditya Nath Das, Secretary Rahul Bojja, Special Secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, Telangana Bhavan Resident Commissioner Dr. Gaurav Uppal, and other key officials, alongside NDSA Chairman Anil Jain and ex-Central Water Commission Chairman J. Chandrasekhar Iyer.

(With inputs from agencies.)