Dam Safety Panel Issues Stinging Rebuke To Telangana Government Over Medigadda Barrage Submersion, Casting Doubt On Rs 80,000 Crore Kaleshwaram Project's Future

A central panel responsible for dam safety has raised significant issues regarding the Kaleshwaram multi-lift irrigation project in Telangana.

The concerns come in the wake of an incident where sections of the Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage sank into the Godavari river last month, rendering the structure potentially in need of reconstruction.

The panel's report exposed deficiencies in project planning and execution, notably the deviation from the intended design, leading to the sinking of six pillars.

Heavy water flow within a fortnight triggered the incident, forcing the release of millions of cubic feet of water meant for drinking and irrigation.

As reported by NDTV, The report criticised the Telangana government for its failure in planning, design, quality control, operation, and maintenance.

The Kaleshwaram project, inaugurated in 2019, was promoted as one of the world's most extensive multi-stage multipurpose lift irrigation schemes, designed to provide water for irrigation and drinking to a significant portion of the state.

The Medigadda barrage, the first stage of the project, is designed to transport substantial quantities of water to the Konda Pochamma Sagar Reservoir near Hyderabad through additional lifts.

The National Dam Safety Authority's report comes weeks before Telangana votes in an Assembly election and heaps pressure on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who now faces a barrage of criticism from the BJP, the Congress, and other opposition parties in the southern state.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited the incident site on Thursday (2 November), alleging corruption in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, head of the BJP's state unit, attacked the ruling party for corruption, failed projects, and leakages.