Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday directed officials to complete all approvals for the restoration of the three damaged Kaleshwaram barrages by the end of this month and begin repair works by Dec-end, stressing that dam safety standards should not be compromised under any circumstances.He instructed officials to carry out the rehabilitation strictly in line with National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) guidelines and ensure close coordination among central agencies, construction companies and state departments.Reviewing restoration plans for the Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages with ministers and irrigation department officials, the chief minister said the govt was committed to restoring the structures while ensuring that lapses attributed to the previous BRS regime were not repeated.The proposed restoration of the three barrages is estimated to cost ₹4,193 crore. Officials explained that contractors would bear the cost of rectifying construction defects, while the state govt would fund the additional works required for rehabilitation and strengthening of safety systems.Revanth directed officials to implement the restoration and water utilisation plans in two phases, with priority given to restoring the barrages’ operational capacity and ensuring long-term structural safety.During the meeting, irrigation engineers informed the chief minister that although water is available at Medigadda, it cannot be lifted and utilised under the present circumstances. They explained that water pumped from Medigadda could reach Yellampalli only if the gates at Annaram and Sundilla were closed. However, the NDSA has advised that the gates remain open because of structural deficiencies identified in the two barrages, the engineers said.The chief minister also rejected allegations that Godavari waters were being allowed to go waste. He said the govt had effectively utilised downstream Godavari flows through the Devadula and Sita Rama lift irrigation schemes, enabling irrigation and drinking water supply in the erstwhile Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.According to the figures presented during the review, the previous BRS govt lifted an average of 9.57 tmc of water annually through the Devadula scheme, while the Congress govt lifted an average of 18.13 tmc over the last three years, an increase of nearly 89%. By Oct this year, 16.71 tmc had been lifted through Devadula and 8.10 tmc through Sita Rama, taking total Godavari water utilisation to 24.81 tmc.Officials said a comprehensive assessment of the three barrages was undertaken after the damage at Medigadda. Investigations and technical studies were carried out with the support of national experts and central govt agencies. They informed the meeting that a Centre-appointed committee had already granted in-principle approval to the preliminary restoration proposals.Reiterating that the rehabilitation of the three barrages was a top priority, Revanth directed officials to ensure that the restoration works were executed within fixed timelines so that the structures could be safely brought back into operation.
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