During his meeting with the CWC Chairman, the Minister also sought to expedite water allocations for two major initiatives – the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka barrage.
Published May 08, 2025 | 12:05 AM ⚊ Updated May 08, 2025 | 12:05 AM
Irrigation Minister the Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy requested the CWC to carry out a comprehensive geotechnical and structural review and advise on the restoration and safety of the project.
Synopsis: The Telangana government has sought the Central Water Commission’s assistance to address severe structural issues in the Medigadda barrage, following damning findings by the National Dam Safety Authority, which labelled it one of India’s worst man-made disasters.
The Telangana government has sought the intervention of the Central Water Commission (CWC) to help restore the Medigadda barrage, a key part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), after the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) raised serious deficiencies with its design and construction.
Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy met newly appointed CWC Chairman Atul Jain on Wednesday, 7 May, to request guidance on how to address the structural issues highlighted by the NDSA.
He drew attention to the NDSA’s findings on the integrity of the KLIS infrastructure, including the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
The NDSA, after its technical inspection, had recommended that the Telangana government seek technical advice and evaluate the safety of KLIS infrastructure.
Its report cited multiple structural deficiencies, including sand piping, foundation instability, and poor quality control, which it said had caused irreversible damage to some parts of the project.
Acting on the recommendations, the Minister requested the CWC to carry out a comprehensive geotechnical and structural review and advise on the restoration and safety of the project.
During his meeting with the CWC Chairman, the Minister also sought to expedite water allocations for two major initiatives – the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka barrage.
He raised broader issues related to inter-state water management, infrastructure safety and the impact of backwaters from the Polavaram project.
Launched in 2015, PRLIS aims to irrigate around 12.3 lakh acres in drought-prone districts – Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Rangareddy and Nalgonda – addressing water scarcity and groundwater depletion in the region.
The project proposes to lift 2 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water per day from the Krishna river during the 60-day flood season using five pumping stations.
The Minister requested an overall allocation of 90 tmcft for PRLIS, with an immediate release of 45 tmcft in the first phase.
He said the state had fulfilled all procedural and documentation requirements set by the CWC.
Similarly, the Sammakka-Sarakka barrage, located in Mulugu district, is designed to stabilise irrigation for nearly 5.55 lakh hectares under the J Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme and the Sriram Sagar Project (Stages I and II).
With a total storage capacity of 6.94 tmcft, it will also supply drinking water to villages along its planned route.
The Minister urged the CWC to clear an allocation of 44 tmcft for the project.
He stressed that all necessary maps and documentation had been submitted and underlined the importance of early approval to ensure that agrarian communities dependent on these projects are not left vulnerable to recurring droughts.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also raised concerns about what he called the “illegal diversion” of Krishna river water by Andhra Pradesh.
He urged the CWC to install telemetry instruments at key points to track water flows and stop unauthorised withdrawals, noting that Telangana had already released its share of funds to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) for this purpose.
Since CWC Chairman Atul Jain also holds additional charge as head of the KRMB and the Polavaram Project Authority, the Minister emphasised his central role in ensuring compliance, coordination, and transparency in inter-state water sharing and monitoring.
He also flagged the potential threat of flooding from the Polavaram project, warning that rapid construction could cause backwater inundation in parts of Telangana.
He called for a new assessment of the project’s backwater impact on Telangana’s border villages and urged the CWC to recommend safeguards to prevent displacement and flooding.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
