‘Lack Of Stringent Quality Control’: NDSA Report On Medigadda Barrage Of Kaleshwaram Project

The NDSA report pointed to construction deficiencies, suggesting a lack of stringent quality control during the construction after the piers of the Medigadda barrage in the Kaleshwaram project in Telangana sank.

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has issued a report indicating that the piers of the Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project across the Godavari River in Telangana have sunk due to a combination of factors related to planning, design, quality control, and operation and maintenance. This revelation comes amid allegations of massive corruption in the Kaleshwaram project, which has been acclaimed as the world's largest lift irrigation initiative.

Opposition parties have accused the Telangana government, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), of misappropriating public funds to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.

A committee from NDSA, comprising six members and led by a member specialised in disaster and resilience, conducted an investigation into the reasons behind the sinking of the piers of the Medigadda barrage, news agency IANS reported. The investigation occurred from October 23 to 25.

Sanjay Kumar Sibal, Chairman of NDSA, communicated the findings to Rajat Kumar, Special Chief Secretary of the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department in Telangana. The committee had requested 20 pieces of data and information to investigate the matter, but the department provided only 11 items.

It is construed that the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department has nothing to submit about instrumentation data, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspection reports, completion reports, quality control reports, condition of gates and many other inputs, he wrote, as per IANS.

The primary reason identified by the committee for the barrage settlement was the raft's failure. The monolith piers, closely associated with the raft, also experienced settling, shifting, and cracking. This could have resulted from several factors, such as piping, inadequate bearing capacity of the foundation material (sand), and the failure of upstream secant piles due to the barrage load, IANS reported.

There appears to be construction deficiency due to lack of stringent quality control during the construction of sub-surface contiguous secant piles and plinth connection between the raft and cut-offs, says the report, as per IANS.

The report further highlighted issues with project planning and design. It noted that the barrage was designed as a floating structure but constructed as a rigid structure. The dam owner was supposed to conduct sounding and probing in the apron area after the monsoon season to assess scours and the launching of aprons near structures, but this appeared to have been neglected.

The NDSA had repeatedly asked the Telangana State Dam Safety Organization to carry out pre and post-monsoon inspections to monitor unusual behavior or signs of distress, but this directive had not been followed, potentially violating section 41 (b) of Chapter X of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

The report also revealed various areas where compliance with the provisions of DSA 2021 appeared to be lacking, raising concerns due to the high risk potential for life and the economy associated with the barrage. The present condition of the Medigadda barrage renders it unusable until full rehabilitation takes place.

The report's findings also raise concerns about two other barrages constructed upstream of Medigadda as part of the Kaleshwaram project—Annaram and Sundila barrages. These barrages share similar designs and construction methodologies, making them susceptible to similar failure modes. Signs of distress have already been observed downstream of the Annaram barrage.

The report has provided further ammunition for opposition parties to intensify their criticism of the KCR-led government and its handling of the Kaleshwaram project. Both the Congress and BJP have characterized the project as a major scandal.

Earlier this week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Medigadda barrage on Thursday and made allegations against Chief Minister KCR and his family regarding the misuse of public funds.