The Annaram reservoir had about 5.7 tmcft of water against its total storage capacity of 10.87 tmct of water when the damage was discovered.
Published Nov 01, 2023 | 3:55 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 01, 2023 | 8:11 PM
Sand being filled at the spot in Annaram Barrage where leakage was reported. (Screengrab)
Following the recent damage to piers of the Medigadda barrage, other components of the Telangana government’s ambitious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) also appear to have been jinxed.
No sooner than the officials inspected the damage caused to the piers of the Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage of the KLIS due to the shifting away of sand because of neavy water flow, a similar problem is reported to have occurred to the Annaram (Saraswati) Barrage in Jaishankar Bhupalpally district.
Noticing the leakage of water after sand around pillar No 41 in block No 4 was washed away a few days ago, the officials have been trying to plug the breach with sandbags. It is understood to have occurred between gate numbers 28 and 38.
The Annaram reservoir had about 5.7 tmcft of water against its total storage capacity of 10.87 tmct of water when the damage was discovered. Ever since, the officials have been letting the water downstream at the rate of 2,357 cusecs by lifting one gate.
The report of the damage to Annaram Barrage could not have come at a worse time for the BRS as it is already labouring to explain that the damage to Medigadda piers was not a cause for alarm and that its contractors, the construction and engineering major L&T, responsible for its construction and maintenance, would repair it at their own cost.
In a statement, the Annaram (Saraswati) barrage authorities dismissed the leakage as “seepage”, which they said was normal in permeable foundations.
The superintending engineer and in-charge, Ramagundam, said that the barrage engineers kept sandbags at the 38th vent to arrest the seepage. The fresh water that was coming out was within permissible limits and no sand is coming out.
He said Deputy Executive Engineer Ravi Chandra has been at the Annaram barrage since morning on Wednesday, 1 November. He had reported that they were involved in routine maintenance works like arresting the seepage at adjacent to end sill of barrage (Gate No 38).
The superintending engineer quoted Ravi Chandra as saying: “About 10 am on Wednesday, 1 November, about 20 members belonging to the Congress party of Annaram village entered the trunnion level walkway gate without permission of the Irrigation and Command Area Development (I & CAD) Department and came to gate No 38. They then took videos and photos and circulated them to outside people describing it as bunga (leak).”
Project Executive Engineer A Yadagiri said that it was routine maintenance work being carried out for seepage observed by the DEE and field engineers about three days back, and they are taking protective measures as part of maintenance.
He said that as long as seepage is within permissible limits and there is no carriage of soil or sand particles, it is safe.
“As per our observation, there is no serious condition as described in videos being circulated on YouTube, and sandbags are being laid as a precautionary remedial measure,” the statement said, adding that to be on the safe side, they were reducing storage levels in both Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
The barrage of Medigadda caved in somewhat after its piers sank further into the ground recently with the water washing away the sand that was around it over a period of time.
As it is a prestigious project and any damage to it might not only affect the interests of the state but also the lives of the people, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy wrote to the Jal Shakti Ministry to send a team of experts to assess the damage and suggest remedial measures.
The ministry acted promptly and dispatched a team from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to Medigadda which inspected the project thoroughly.
Later, it sought more information and data from the state government as, it said, it would become difficult to assess the damage and what had caused it without the report.
It is not yet known whether the state government has furnished all the details to the team.
As it is election time in Telangana, the damage to the Medigadda Barrage came as fresh ammo for the Congress and the BJP to slam the BRS for the poor quality of the construction.
Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing an election rally at Kollapur on Tuesday, recalled how strong the projects constructed under his party’s regime and how weak and frail those that have been constructed by the BRS government.
He also cited how strong the projects of Nagarjuna Sagar, Sriram Sagar, Singur and Jurala were and how they had weathered the vicissitudes of time.
He also wanted the people to see for themselves how Kaleshwaram, which has been built with fanfare and which was always touted as the world’s largest lift irrigation project, seemed to be crumbling under the weight of poor quality.
