2 days ago
Major Revamp Plans Aim to Repair Medigadda Barrage
Officials are planning major repairs to the Medigadda barrage.
The plan includes building a bigger basin below it to help slow water when gates open.
It would also strengthen the river bed and extend the barrage’s 86 piers.
Sand must first be cleared from Medigadda and two other barrages.
Engineers are still deciding what to do with damaged Block 7.
They could strengthen it, replace it, or build a wall around it after strengthening the ground.
The designs still need to be reviewed by the Central Water Commission.
Officials say the work may take at least a year, while the government hopes it will be done before the 2027 monsoon.
Proposed rehabilitation work includes a new downstream stilling basin and extending all 86 piers to its edge.
Plans also include upstream and downstream cut-off walls, extending the upstream raft, and strengthening the river bed through grouting.
Designs are being developed by irrigation department engineers and experts from the Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, and would require Central Water Commission vetting.
Accumulated sand at Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram must be cleared before construction; officials say this could take several weeks.
The treatment for damaged Block 7 remains undecided, and officials say repairs could take at least a year; the government hopes to finish before the 2027 monsoon.
- Who
- Telangana irrigation department engineers and Central Water and Power Research Station experts are developing the designs.
- What
- A major rehabilitation plan is being prepared for the Medigadda barrage, including structural additions and river-bed strengthening.
- Where
- Medigadda barrage on the Godavari River, as well as preparatory sand removal at Sundilla and Annaram barrages.
- When
- Designs were expected to be discussed toward the weekend; repairs are estimated to take at least a year, with the government aiming for completion before the 2027 monsoon.
- Why
- To rehabilitate the barrage and address structural concerns, including preventing problems from recurring.
Strengthen existing Block 7
Remove and rebuild Block 7
How to address the damaged block
Strengthen existing Block 7
One option is to strengthen the existing structure; another variation would add a blocking wall after strengthening the ground beneath Block 7 and adjacent blocks.
Remove and rebuild Block 7
Another option is to remove Block 7 and rebuild it, though cutting through the structure, removing debris and preparing the site would take several months.
Key facts
- Project
- Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme
- Proposed basin
- An extended stilling basin on the downstream side
- Piers
- All 86 would be extended to the edge of the proposed stilling basin
- Other proposed measures
- Two cut-off walls, an extended upstream raft, and ground strengthening by grouting
- Preparatory work
- Sand accumulation at the barrages is reported to be three to five metres deep in some places
- Block 7
- Options include strengthening the existing block, removing and rebuilding it, or building a blocking wall after strengthening the ground
- Estimated duration
- At least one year, if preparatory requirements proceed quickly
- Approval
- The designs are to be submitted to the Central Water Commission for vetting
Quotes
Source involved with repair-plan discussions
A source involved in discussions on the repair plans.
“There is still uncertainty on the way forward as far as Block 7 is concerned, whether to repair it, build a new one, or build a blocking wall around it after strengthening the ground under the block and its adjacent blocks.”
deccanchronicle.com
“The required works are expected to be complex. Some components constitute huge additions, such as building a new extended stilling basin on the downstream side to ensure that problems of the past do not recur.”
deccanchronicle.com
Irrigation department official
An official of the irrigation department.
“The designs are robust with measures to address every concern plaguing the barrages. Once completed, the barrages should stand strong.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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