Kaleshwaram Barrage Repairs to Begin in Mid-November, Says Uttam
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government plans to begin comprehensive rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) in mid-November 2026 and complete the work before the onset of the 2027 monsoon, Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has said.
The timeline represents a significant step in the effort to restore the three barrages after structural problems raised serious questions over their safety and operation.
Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the schedule after reviewing the rehabilitation programme with senior Irrigation Department officials. He said designs aimed at restoring the structural safety and operational reliability of all three barrages had been finalised and were undergoing further technical scrutiny.
The rehabilitation programme has been developed taking into account recommendations and safety concerns raised by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and other expert bodies.
The proposed engineering measures include strengthening foundations through grouting, extending stilling basins and constructing new cutoff walls. These measures are intended to address problems involving foundation stability, under-seepage and the structures designed to dissipate the energy of flowing water.
The designs are also being tested through computational fluid dynamics modelling at the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) in Pune. The modelling is intended to assess hydraulic behaviour and determine whether the proposed energy-dissipation measures would perform effectively under different flow conditions.
The designs are scheduled to be placed before the Technical Oversight Committee under the Central Water Commission (CWC) in New Delhi on October 5 for expert examination and recommendations.
The state Irrigation and Command Area Development Department is simultaneously preparing detailed cost estimates and working out the contractual process so that tenders can be invited once the required technical clearances are received.
Uttam said the government would not rely on temporary or partial repairs and would instead pursue durable rehabilitation based on scientific studies and recommendations from national technical institutions.
The execution plan is expected to include independent testing, quality-control requirements and defined timelines, with senior officials continuously monitoring progress.
Safety Clearance Before Barrages Return to Operation
The government has also made clear that Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla will not return to normal operation merely because repair work has been undertaken.
The three barrages are to be operated only after rehabilitation is completed and the necessary safety clearances are received from the relevant national authorities.
That position is consistent with the NDSA's approach to the troubled structures. In an affidavit filed before the Telangana High Court in August, the NDSA said rehabilitation should be completed before the affected barrage infrastructure is restored to regular operation.
The authority's technical assessment attributed the distress at Medigadda to deficiencies involving planning, design, construction quality, operation and maintenance. It also called for assessment of Annaram and Sundilla because of similarities in their design and construction.
The state government has repeatedly said it will follow the recommendations of the NDSA and the CWC before restoring the barrages to operation.
Medigadda Failure Triggered Wider Scrutiny
Concerns over Kaleshwaram intensified after piers at the Medigadda barrage subsided in October 2023. The incident subsequently led to extensive investigations into Medigadda as well as the Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
The rehabilitation process has since involved geophysical and geotechnical investigations, borehole studies, hydraulic modelling and other technical assessments.
Earlier this year, the Telangana government also constituted a coordination mechanism to accelerate investigations, design preparation and rehabilitation work in consultation with the NDSA and CWC.
In June, Uttam had said the government expected rehabilitation to begin around the end of November or early December and aimed to complete it in a single working season. The latest schedule advances the proposed start to mid-November while retaining the goal of completing the work before the 2027 monsoon.
For Telangana, the rehabilitation is crucial not only to the future operation of the Kaleshwaram system but also to resolving the safety concerns that have kept the three barrages from normal operation.
The immediate milestones will be the technical review of the rehabilitation designs, necessary clearances, completion of cost estimates and the tendering process. Actual execution will depend on those steps being completed as planned.
Comments