Hyderabad: The much-awaited interim report on what needs to be done at the damaged Medigadda barrage to protect it from increased flow in the Godavari river during the monsoon is learnt to have been received by the irrigation department.
Irrigation officials were tight-lipped about the development but one official said a letter was received from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA). It could not be confirmed if a report came along with the letter.
It is expected that the government would speak about the report after the May 13 polling, as revealing its contents could attract BRS criticism that it was meant to influence the voters.
The interim report is expected to have suggestions from the NDSA to suggest a way forward for repairs or rehabilitation of the Medigadda barrage. It is likely that the report will suggest that initial protection works and later repair/rehabilitation works be asked to be done by L&T which built the barrage.
It may be recalled that in October last year, three piers of the barrage sank resulting in serious cracks in Block 7 of the barrage sparking serious concerns over the safety of the structure. Following this, the barrage was emptied to reduce stress on the structure.
Similarly, problems were noticed at the other two barrages – Annaram and Sundilla – of the project. There are serious concerns that unless some steps are taken, a swollen Godavari river once the monsoon season begins, could pose problems to the Medigadda barrage in particular as it is built after Godavari’s confluence with Pranahita river, as well as the other two barrages upstream of Medigadda.
