The Telangana government has prepared a ₹4,193 crore restoration plan for the damaged Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to obtain the necessary approvals by November-end and begin repair works in December.
During a review meeting with ministers and irrigation officials, the Chief Minister instructed that all restoration works must strictly follow the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), central government technical institutions and dam safety experts.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that preliminary restoration proposals had already received in-principle approval from a central expert committee. Detailed technical studies and investigations into the condition of the three barrages have also been completed.
Under the proposed financial arrangement, construction companies will bear the cost of rectifying construction defects, while the state government will fund additional restoration and protection works.
The Chief Minister directed officials to divide the restoration into two phases, covering the recovery of the barrages’ water utilisation capacity and essential safety measures.
Why Water Cannot Be Lifted from Medigadda
The meeting also discussed allegations that the government was deliberately allowing Godavari water to flow downstream without lifting it at Medigadda.
Irrigation engineers explained that lifting water from Medigadda to Yellampalli requires the gates of the Annaram and Sundilla barrages to be closed. However, the NDSA has advised that these gates remain open because of structural deficiencies.
Officials clarified that the existing technical conditions therefore prevent the lifting of water through the system.
Revanth Reddy asked ministers to counter what he described as misleading claims that the government was refusing to utilise available water.
Godavari Water Utilisation Increased by 89%, Says CM
The Chief Minister said the government was making greater use of Godavari water through the Devadula and Sitarama lift irrigation schemes.
According to figures presented during the meeting, Devadula lifted an annual average of 9.57 TMC during the previous government’s tenure, compared with 18.13 TMC over the past three years, representing an increase of approximately 89%.
He said that till October this year, 16.71 TMC had been lifted through Devadula and another 8.10 TMC through Sitarama, taking the combined utilisation to 24.81 TMC.
The water was used to support irrigation and drinking water requirements in the erstwhile Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts, he added.
Revanth Blames Previous Government for Barrage Damage
The Chief Minister alleged that mistakes committed during the previous government’s tenure had resulted in the sinking of the Medigadda barrage.
He said the present government had a responsibility to protect the project and ensure that similar failures were not repeated.
Referring to the Pranahita project, Revanth Reddy argued that completing a barrage at Tummidihatti would have enabled water to reach Yellampalli at a lower cost and helped Telangana manage drought conditions more effectively.
He also claimed that the state’s cultivated area had expanded under the Congress government and that Telangana had achieved record paddy production.
The Chief Minister directed officials to coordinate closely with central agencies and construction companies, complete approval procedures without delay and ensure that barrage safety was never compromised.
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Secretary Sridhar, Tunnels and Safety Secretary Colonel Parikshit Mehra, Joint Secretary Srinivas and other senior officials participated in the review meeting.