In Hyderabad, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that a vigilance report revealed that no maintenance work has been done on the Medigadda Barrage since June 19, 2019. This information was shared during a presentation in the Assembly before the tabling of the ‘White Paper on Irrigation.’
The report found that the Irrigation and Command Area Development departments did not follow the specified sequential manner of work in block-7. It was noted that the raft and secant piles were not laid as required. Deviation approvals were issued without proper inspection notes from Higher Authorities.
The Minister mentioned that the Medigadda Barrage, inaugurated by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in June 2019, has not undergone any maintenance or operations since then. The coffer dam and sheet piles from construction were not removed before operations began. Additionally, the upstream and downstream overburden levels were not trimmed as recommended by a 3D Model study.
He also highlighted that the Engineer-in-Chief of Ramagundam issued a letter in November 2020 declaring the defect liability period starting from February 29, 2020, and recommended releasing bank guarantees to the agency despite pending work. Disciplinary action was initiated against him for this decision.
