Hyderabad, October 25: A team of experts dispatched by the Central government has continued its investigation into the submersion of the Medigadda (Laxmi) barrage, a component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).
Following their visit to the barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district, the team, led by the Chairman of the National Dam Safety Authority, held discussions with state government officials in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
In attendance were State Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief Muralidhar, KLIP Engineer-in-Chief N. Venkateshwarlu, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Minister's Office, Sridhar Deshpande, and representatives from L&T. These officials briefed the Central team on the construction of the barrage and the precautionary measures taken.
The team engaged in a detailed examination of the technical aspects and the underlying causes of the barrage's submersion. Muralidhar, addressing the media, indicated that all issues were discussed, and the team sought additional information about the barrage's construction and associated factors.
The Engineer-in-Chief asserted that there was no conspiracy involved in the incident. He suggested that the movement of sand might have resulted in the submersion of a central pier in the seventh block and emphasized that there was no compromise on the quality of work.
Muralidhar stated, "If there was any quality issue or design flaw, the barrage would not have withstood three floods, including one with a flow of 25 lakh cusecs. Any such issues would have become apparent during the initial flood."
The barrage has been drained of water, and the damaged section has been isolated for restoration work. L&T has affirmed its commitment to fulfill its responsibilities, and the restoration work is expected to commence shortly. The goal is to complete the entire project by the upcoming summer season.
Earlier, the Central team conducted an inspection of the barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti sent the team to investigate the causes of the pier submersion. The Ministry has tasked the committee with submitting a report after inspecting the barrage and consulting with all relevant stakeholders.
The team examined the damage to pillars 15 to 20 of the barrage, as they reportedly sank several feet on the night of October 21.
The incident temporarily closed the barrage bridge over the Godavari River, which connects Telangana with Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. Suspecting foul play, project officials lodged a complaint with the local police, who subsequently registered a case against unidentified individuals and initiated an inquiry.
The Medigadda barrage, measuring 1.6 kilometers in length, saw a portion of 356 meters submerge, located only a short distance from Maharashtra. Security measures have been increased, and prohibitory orders have been imposed to prevent gatherings of people.
KLIP authorities have nearly emptied the barrage, which originally held approximately 10 tmc of water. About 67 of the barrage's 85 gates were opened to facilitate a technical assessment of the cause and extent of the damage, with continuous outflow being maintained. With a total capacity of 16 TMC, this barrage was the first to be constructed as part of the ambitious KLIP, known as the world's largest lift irrigation project.
Project engineers have assured that there is no imminent threat to the barrage, and repair work will proceed after a comprehensive damage assessment.
The incident has prompted strong reactions from the opposition Congress and BJP, who have attributed the incident to poor design and low-quality work. They have called for the resignation of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, asserting his moral responsibility, and have reiterated their claims of widespread corruption in the project.
