The Vigilance department noted that maintenance checks had not been conducted from the time of its inaguration in 2019 till 2024.
Published Feb 14, 2024 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 03, 2024 | 6:21 PM
The Medigadda barrage. (Deepika Pasham/South First)
“I request you to move away from this area kindly. It is not safe to walk here,” urged the police officer on duty as media personnel strolled along the Medigadda barrage in Bhupalpally district on Tuesday, 13 February.
Not too long ago, just before the Telangana Assembly elections, the sinking piers of the Medigadda barrage became a rallying point for the Congress party to challenge the incumbent BRS government.
Post their triumph in the Assembly elections, the Congress party extended invitations to all political factions in Telangana and the media to join them in a comprehensive review of the Medigadda barrage on 13 February.
Scheduled to kick off at 6:30 am from the Telangana Secretariat, the buses finally rolled out at 7:30 am. Three buses accommodated print and digital journalists, videographers, and photographers. We reached the Medigadda barrage in Bhupalpally district by 12:40 pm.
As we entered the hot Bhupalpally district, banners lined the route, warmly welcoming Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet ministers. The Congress leaders were also joined by CPI MLA Sambasiva Rao and three AIMIM MLAs.
The route to the Medigadda bridge was lined with banners welcoming the Chief Minister and his Cabinet ministers. (Deepika Pasham/South First)
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) workers diligently sprinkled bleaching powder while water tankers and sweepers washed the roads. The locals gathered along the route, watching the buses trooping in the people, some even waving, assuming that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his ministers were en route to Medigadda.
The typically barren ground transformed, with large tents on one side for the police, district collectors, Chief Minister, and Cabinet ministers to refresh and have lunch. On the opposite side, facing the Medigadda barrage, another set of tents awaited the media and Congress party workers.
Additionally, a spacious hall with a stage was assembled for the political leaders to sit and observe a PowerPoint presentation on the Medigadda project, delivered by the Irrigation and Vigilance departments.
Disembarking from the buses, the media received instructions from Irrigation Department officials urging us to refrain from walking on the Medigadda barrage. They organised transport for the media’s visit to the barrage. District Collector Bhavesh Mishra clarified that the distance to the Medigadda barrage was slightly over a kilometre.
Vehicles are prohibited from speeding on the route. The transports carrying the Chief Minister and others proceeded slowly through the sandy terrain, passing through areas marked with red danger symbols just steps away from the border with Maharashtra. We finally arrived at the towering blocks of Medigadda.
The stark reality of the barrage confronts anyone visiting it. There’s a noticeable difference in the settlement of piers 19, 20 and 21 of Block 7 of Medigadda due to the cracks.
The piers of the Medigadda barrage developed cracks last year. (Deepika Pasham/South First)
Pier 20, in particular, has diminished in height and suffered extensive damage with major cracks along its entire wall. The water inflow near Pier 19 is also being channelled with pipes due to damage to the pier, making water inflow challenging for the toiling workers.
This presents a significant problem with water storage in the barrage, as the piers have developed cracks, requiring immediate attention from the government in the upcoming days.
According to Chief Engineer Sudhakar Reddy, in charge of the project, Pier 20, 18, 19 and 21 of Block 7 of the barrage have sunk. The slabs and parapet wall resting on Pier 20 have also sunk, affecting the adjacent Piers 19 and 21.
Based on the investigation, several deviations from the construction plan have been identified, particularly in Block 7, where the sequential laying of the raft and secant piles was not followed, as specified by the Vigilance team.
In fact, as noted by the Vigilance department, maintenance checks had not been conducted from the time of its inauguration in 2019 till 2024. Secondly, L&T, the construction partner for the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, was notified for nearly three years — 2020, 2021, and 2022 — about the damages to the Medigadda barrage.
Director General of Vigilance, Rajiv Ratan, emphasised that, as a preventive measure, the gates of Medigadda barrage would be kept open until comprehensive remedial measures are completed before the onset of the monsoon.
For Block 7, urgent remedial measures are imperative to maintain the health of all blocks; otherwise, the barrage may face further deterioration.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stated that the entire Medigadda barrage project cost nearly ₹1 lakh crore.
