Huge water storage led to sinking of piers in Medigadda: Engineers to Ghose panel

Hyderabad: In a startling revelation, senior engineers of engineering research laboratory (ERL) in the irrigation department said Medigadda barrage block 7 piers sank and Annaram and Sundilla suffered leakages owing to storage of a huge quantity of water.
They also said the problems surfaced as the authorities did not lift the gates despite the barrages receiving a huge flood.
The engineers on Friday appeared before the Justice PC Ghose Commission, which is probing into various lapses in the construction of the three barrages which form part of the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
They said the construction works began before model studies of the barrages could be completed. The engineers said after the studies were done, they furnished a report to the state govt suggesting rectification of baffle blocks and other changes in the project.
Justice Ghose cross-examined the engineers of ERL based on their affidavits filed before the inquiry commission. The commission also asked whether model studies were conducted before taking up the construction of the barrages.
The engineers said that they followed all the guidelines and conducted model studies between 2016 and 2023. ERL chief engineer Sridevi answered some questions and said that she was not aware of some other questions posed by Justice Ghose.
The commission questioned the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) officials and grilled chief engineer, Telangana irrigation and command area development department, T Pramila, whether dam safety norms were followed or not and who prepared pre- and post-monsoon reports of the barrages.
She told the commission that they did not issue a pre-monsoon report before taking up the dam construction. Even after the sinking of piers at Medigadda and leakages at the two other barrages, SDSO did not get any reports from field-level officers, officials informed the commission.