Worlds biggest pumphouse inaugurated in Telangana

While Kaleshwaram Project has gained recognition as a great and biggest lift irrigation scheme in the entire world, one component of that mega project Medigadda has its own distinction. It is the first Pumping Station in a chain of total 20 pumping stations of this mega lift irrigation project.

With trail run of pumps and motors and lifting of water at Medigadda on Friday, Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) has surpassed its own record.

Prestigious Kaleshwaram LIS inaugurated by Telangana CM K Chandra Sekhar Rao and AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy. After inaugurating all the dignitaries visited the forebay and pumphouse. PV Krishna Reddy, MD, MEIL has explained about the unique features of the project and in the pumphouse, salient features of motors installed. After that CM KCR Swithched on the motor.

The guests governor and Jaganmohan Reddy impressed about the project. World's biggest Pumphouse Package 8 at Lakshmipur inaugurated by Minister Jagadiswar Reddy. Here each machine is 139 MW and total capacity is 973 MW.

A pump operated with 40 MW capacity has released 60 Cusecs of water through delivery cistern into the gravitational canal (13.5 Kms). Earlier water traversed from pump (pressure main) through delivery main up to 1.53 Kms. Water through the gravitational canal will reach the upper part of Annaram Barrage.

B.Venumadhav, Chief General Manager, MEIL, while explaining the features of the pumphouse said that, "Medigadda pump house is constructed in a way that each one unit with a capacity of 40 MWs would lift 60 Cusecs of water. It is built 91 meters above Godavari River with a total water lifting capacity of 660 Cusecs. As part of the first phase, 11 units with a total capacity of 440 MWs would start functioning. This pump house is constructed in just one and a half year, with distinct electromechanical and civil works. Approach canal with a capacity of 9.75 lakhs Cubic Meters, with walls of 51,000 Cubic Meters have been completed. Pumphouse forebay (front area) has a capacity of 45.73 Lakhs Cubic Meters.

MEIL has made it possible to complete all these works within the stipulated deadlines. It could complete a total work of 77.07 lakhs Cubic Meters, including 10.56 lakhs Cubic Meters works of Pressure Main and 10.50 lakhs Cubic Meters for the Delivery cistern. A mega canal with a capacity of 1.50 Crores Cubic Meters is also completed that would enable water to reach the upper part of Annaram Barrage from Medigadda lift point."

Under Kaleshwaram Project, lifting of water from Godavari River would start from Medigadda itself. The biggest pump house in the entire world is constructed at this place for this purpose. As part of Kaleshwaram Project, Package–8 works are taken up at Lakshmipur with 7 units having a total capacity of 139 MWs.

Under Package-6, there are 7 units with a total capacity of 124 MWs; in Package -10, there are 4 Units with a total capacity of 106 MWs and in Package -11, 4 Units have a total capacity of 135 MWs. As the Government of Telangana is anxious to provide irrigation water, works are completed in Medigadda, Annaram, Sundilla, Package 6 and Package 8. Except Package 6, all other works are being constructed by MEIL.

The prestigious Kaleshwaram Project has 82 pumping units in total, with a total capacity of 4627 MWs, out of which MEIL is constructing 63 units with a capacity of 3767 MWs. That itself signifies the critical role of MEIL in this world's biggest project. While pumps and motors are being supplied by electromechanical companies like BHEL, Andriz, Jailum, entire civil works are being taken up by MEIL.

11 Units in Medigadda, 8 in Annaram, 9 in Sundilla and 7 Units in Package 8 are being established for this project. These 35 units in total to be completed by MEIL in the first phase; so far, it has completed works related to 26 units. Dry run (testing the motors) has been already successfully completed in these units and efforts are on for wet run (water pumping). At Medigadda, a dry run is completed in 8 units and 6 units are ready for a wet run. Works are in full swing for completion of the remaining 5 units by 15th June, Said B.Venumadhav.

Medigadda pump house is located in Kannepalli village near Kaleshwaram. While the world-famous international lift projects like Colorado (America), Great Man-Made Wonder (Libya) and domestic projects like Handri Neeva, Kalwakurthy, AMRP, Devadula etc have taken nearly decades of time for completion, MEIL could complete Medigadda lift work within a short span of one and half year. 177 lakh cubic meters of earthwork is completed within a record time of six months.

Concrete works to the extent of 8.62 lakh cubic meters have been completed in 22 months. On average, 1310 cubic meters of concrete work is completed every day. In the same way, 39700 tonnes of mechanical works are completed in 18 months. Significant point is that works of 6 units (each unit with motor, pump) have been completed just in 10 months. The dry run is completed in these 6 units having the total capacity of 240 MWs and they are ready for a wet run. All this is due to the superlative performance of MEIL in finishing the works in record-breaking time.

Approach channel works are nearing for completion. Due to some modifications suggested by the government, these works are being re-done. Changes were also suggested in works related to Head Regulator; so far 8 out of the total 11 works have been completed and remaining 3 are getting ready. Works related to forebay are also completed recently with suggestive modifications.

Water is transported through pipelines from pumping point to canal (delivery cistern). Already 22 pipelines, out of the planned 30 pipelines, have been established for this purpose. These pipelines would be able to lift and pump 2 TMCs of water; it is planned to lift and pump 3 TMCs of water with the planned 30 pipelines.