Medigadda to top Cabinet meet

Hyderabad: Monsoon is not far away. What should be done with the damaged Medigadda barrage and two other barrages Sundilla and Annaram under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS)?

This seems to be the issue that would dominate the crucial Cabinet meeting to be held on Saturday. It assumes importance since the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) in its interim report had suggested taking up repairs to the damaged barrage before the onset of the monsoon. But the government, it appears, wants to wait for the final report of the NDSA which would be submitted in June before the works were taken up.

Officials say that they were ready to take up emergency works and had asked the contract agencies to take up the works at the barrage sites. The Irrigation wing had provided copy of the interim report to the agency and asked them to go ahead with the works at the earliest.

In the backdrop of this, the Cabinet would review the issue again and take a decision on whether to go ahead with temporary repairs or wait for the final report. The L&T agency which had constructed the Medigadda had in the past declined to take up repair works of the damaged piers saying that its responsibility was over as it had handed over the barrage to the government.

The interim report recommended the government to take necessary measures before the onset of monsoon. It suggested “crack monitoring, bracing piers 16 to 22 adequately at appropriate locations to arrest any likely lateral movement and rectification/replacement of defective/damaged pressure release valves in the raft.”

The report has also suggested several steps in respect of radial gates from 15 to 22 in the block which are not opening due to the sinking of the piers. Further, the panel has recommended separate measures in case of Blocks 1-6 and 8.

“In the case of Annaram and Sundilla barrages, the NDSA recommended measures to avoid/minimise hydraulic force on all gates as well as the structures and also lift fully all gates before the onset of monsoon. The panel asked the Irrigation wing to remove the first four rows of the downstream cement-concrete blocks on entire length of barrages.

All these important issues would be discussed in the Cabinet meeting and a decision in consultation with the irrigation experts would be taken. The Irrigation officials said the commencement of repair works before the monsoon would help in storing water which would help agriculture in the ensuing Kharif season.