HYDERABAD: The irrigation department, likely staring at expensive repairs to the stricken Medigadda barrage where protection works are to be completed – to the extent possible – before the onset of monsoon this year and the beginning of increasing flows in Godavari river, and possible floods, is exploring ways and means for quick and less expensive fixes to address some of the problems that need to be solved at the barrage.
As part of these efforts, the department is learnt to be examining various options, including use of geotextiles, and geotubes, or rope gabion dam (sandbags stacked in a wire rope net) options for building a cofferdam to divert water away from the damaged Block 7 of the barrage, a portion of which had sunk last October. Representatives of a private firm which provides these services on Friday met with senior irrigation department officials and gave a powerpoint presentation on these options. It is learnt that the company representatives informed the officials that use of geotextiles and geotubes could be an ideal and low-cost solution for a cofferdam compared to traditional construction methods, and the available sand at the site could be used to fill the tubes which could be stacked to function as a cofferdam.
One of the priorities for the department is to ensure protection for Block 7 of the barrage with two of its piers suffering serious damage, a huge void forming underneath it, and the washed away flood protection measures downstream of the block.
Meanwhile, the government is learnt to be keen on using the other two barrages at Annaram, and Sundilla, both upstream of Medigadda to pump water into the Yellampalli reservoir, which is further upstream of the Sundilla barrage. Senior irrigation department officials are learnt to have discussed the issue in some detail with department engineers from the Annaram and Sundilla barrages on Friday.
