The Telangana government is set to bring three officers from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers into major irrigation works, including the stalled Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and the rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy sought the deputation during a recent meeting with Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth in New Delhi, according to a release issued by the minister’s office. The Military Secretary’s Branch at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence subsequently offered three officers for selection by the Telangana government: Lieutenant Colonel Satyadev Singh, Lieutenant Colonel Ranjit A Menon and Lieutenant Colonel H V Bhalla.
The state government is likely to take all three officers on deputation and assign them to its technically challenging irrigation projects. One officer would supervise operations at the SLBC tunnel’s two excavation fronts, while the other two would be deployed on repair and rehabilitation work at the three Kaleshwaram barrages.
The proposed deployment follows the Telangana government’s experience with Colonel Parikshit Mehra, who has been serving with the state on deputation for about two years. The minister’s office said Mehra has been closely involved in the SLBC tunnel project and in planning the rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla structures.
Reddy said the state valued the technical competence, field experience, discipline and problem-solving abilities of Armed Forces personnel, particularly in difficult terrain and challenging operational environments. He described the experience with Mehra as “extraordinary” and said it had encouraged the government to request additional Army engineers.
The SLBC tunnel is among India’s longest irrigation tunnels. Around 35 kilometres of the approximately 44-kilometre tunnel has been completed, according to the state government. Telangana has set June 2028 as the target for completing the remaining work. The proposed execution plan includes advanced geophysical investigations, reinforced ventilation and safety systems, continuous documentation and field-level supervision.
The tunnel project has also faced a serious safety setback. Eight employees were killed after a portion of its roof collapsed in February 2025. The deployment of an Army engineer at the two excavation fronts is expected to add specialised supervision to the continuing underground work, although the state release did not specify the officers’ individual terms of appointment or operational powers.
At Kaleshwaram, the Telangana government is proceeding with rehabilitation of the three barrages. Investigations recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority, including soil, concrete and foundation tests, are nearing completion. IIT Bombay and other institutions are examining the findings and preparing final designs for the structural interventions required, the release said.
The Kaleshwaram project, a multipurpose irrigation system on the Godavari River in Bhupalpally district, has remained central to debates over infrastructure safety and public spending in Telangana. Damage to its barrages, constructed during the previous BRS government, became a major issue during the 2023 Assembly election.
The state government has said its immediate objectives are to complete the SLBC tunnel within the stipulated timeframe and restore the three Kaleshwaram barrages to safe and functional condition. The next milestones are the formal deputation of the officers, completion of the ongoing investigations and preparation of final rehabilitation designs.
