The Telangana government has set December as the target to begin restoration of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages after preparing repair proposals estimated at Rs 4,193 crore. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed officials to secure final approvals by the end of November and ensure that the works comply with recommendations from Central government agencies and dam safety experts.
The revised timeline follows an earlier government announcement that restoration would begin in mid-November. Revanth Reddy reviewed the condition of the three barrages with Ministers and Irrigation Department officials on Thursday, focusing on the measures required to restore them safely.
“Restoration works at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages should be carried out strictly in accordance with the recommendations of Central government agencies and dam safety experts,” the Chief Minister told officials. He also instructed Ministers to give the restoration work the highest priority and said there should be no compromise on the safety of the structures.
Officials told the meeting that a comprehensive assessment of all three barrages had been completed with the assistance of national-level experts and technical institutions working under the Central government. An expert committee constituted by the Centre has already given in-principle approval to the preliminary restoration plans, according to the Irrigation Department briefing.
The proposals envisage construction companies bearing the cost of repairs linked to structural defects, while the State government will meet the expenses of additional works. The source report did not specify the proposed contractors, the detailed work packages or the final implementation schedule beyond the target of commencing work before the end of the year.
The meeting also addressed why water was not being lifted from Medigadda under prevailing conditions. Irrigation Department engineers explained that lifting water from the barrage was not technically feasible at present. Revanth Reddy asked Ministers to counter claims that water available at Medigadda was simply not being used, while maintaining that safety and technical conditions governed operations at the structure.
The Chief Minister said the State had instead lifted water through the Devadula and Sitarama lift irrigation schemes to prevent water in the lower Godavari from going to waste. He said the additional lifting had helped provide irrigation and drinking water to command areas in Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.
According to figures presented at the meeting, the average annual water lifted through the Devadula project rose from 9.57 TMC during the previous government’s tenure to 18.13 TMC over the last three years. By October, 16.71 TMC had been lifted through Devadula and 8.10 TMC through Sitarama. Together, the two projects had put 24.81 TMC of Godavari water to effective use, the Chief Minister said.
The immediate administrative milestone is the securing of final approvals by the end of November. The State government has directed officials to use those approvals to commence restoration of the three barrages before the end of December, subject to the recommendations of the Central agencies and dam safety experts.
