Govt, L&T lock in tussle over Medigadda repairs

Hyderabad: The issue of who should take up the repair works of the damaged portion of the Medigadda barrage remains unresolved. The government maintains that since the L&T, which was the main agency to take up the works, had not submitted the completion certificate and government had not issued discharge notice to the company and hence it should take up the repair works.

But the L&T argues that the project was handed over to the government and has been commissioned. The project started supplying water for irrigation from 2018 and hence they were no longer responsible for operations and management of the project.

While the NDSA in its interim report had recommended that temporary repair works be taken up before onset of monsoon, the government is insisting that the contract agency fulfill its obligation as per the agreement rules. It says that the agency will have to look after the safety of the structures even though the barrage was opened and water released in 2018.

Officials said that the major challenge before the government was to take up the repairs of the damaged piers of the barrage and the preliminary estimations said it would cost around Rs 500 crore.

Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday constituted a five-member committee headed by Engineer in Chief (General) Irrigation to implement the interim measures and further investigation which needs to be taken up before the onset of the monsoon at the Medigadda and also at Annaram and Sundilla barrages which developed leakages last year.