Section 144 has been imposed near the Medigadda Barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district, Telangana. This is because a few pillars of the barrage sank on Saturday. The Central Water Commission will visit the barrage on October 24 to assess the damage.
The gate of the barrage broke when the 20th pillar sank. Water is still flowing to the Lakshmi Barrage, and authorities have opened 57 gates to release 45,260 cusecs of water. The inflow to the barrage is 12,240 cusecs.
Officials from the Irrigation Department are investigating the cause of the accident. They clarified that L&T, the company in possession of the barrage, is responsible for its restoration.
The Medigadda barrage has collapsed up to the 20th pillar feet under the 6th block, according to Kaleswaram project ENC Nalla Venkateshwarlu. He said that a loud noise was heard near the barrage on Saturday evening, prompting immediate investigation. Details will be released once the water recedes.
At the time of the accident, there was 10 TMC of water stored in the barrage. The gates near the 20th pillar were closed and water was released downstream from the other gates to minimize the impact of the accident.
Union Minister Kishan Reddy has criticized the Kaleswaram project, labeling it an “utter flop.” He questioned how much water has been provided in the last five years and alleged that the project was created to steal people’s wealth. He has decided to write a letter to the central government about the irregularities in the Kaleswaram project.
