'No Investigative Work': Telangana Govt Says Dam Authority Sent Letter On Medigadda Barrage In 'Haste'

Telangana government said National Dam Safety Authority, that had visited the Medigadda barrage site last month, sent its findings which were found to be “unsubstantiated”.

New Delhi: After facing flak over the alleged damage to Medigadda barrage under the Kaleswaram project, chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government said the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) sent its communication to Telangana “in haste”, news agency PTI reported.  The government said the dam authority, that had visited the site last month, sent its findings which were found to be “unsubstantiated”.

Telangana Additional Chief Secretary (irrigation) Rajat Kumar wrote to NDSA chief Sanjay Kumar Sibal, saying that his department studied the suggestions sent by the dam authority and noted that many of them are either "unsubstantiated or made without a full appreciation of the facts”, PTI reported.

A six-member NDSA panel visited the site from October 23 to 25.

"Copies of the documents are appended at Annexure-1. However, without checking the details submitted by the SDSO, a comprehensive indictment of the Kaleshwaram project was communicated to us in a hasty manner," the Telangana government's letter read.

The Telangana government further said NDSA deduced the cause of the damage without any “investigative work”.

"We are surprised that conclusions have been made about the causes of the failure of the Laxmi barrage without any investigative work by the committee. As you are aware, the correct causes can be determined only after proper inspection of the foundation and other related structures which are currently under water," the letter added.

"In particular, the design of the barrage has been extensively studied by the Costing Directorate of the CWC with respect to functionality and costing," the letter further said.

Touted as the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram Project was approved by the Technical Advisory panel of the Jal Shakti Ministry on June 6, 2018.

Notably, the Opposition has slammed the Telangana government over the alleged damage caused to the barrage.

According to the NDSA, the pillars in the barrage have developed cracks and the pillars 15 to 20 between the sixth and eighth blocks reportedly sunk on October 21.