NOB-Hyderabad news: A team of experts from the National Dam Safety Committee was shocked to see sagging foundations, broken piers, cracked joints, warped gates in the Medigadda Annaram barrage on the Godavari river. It hurts to see the damage done to the barrages. As a part of the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Elevation Scheme, the barrages built on the Godavari River were surprised the authorities that how they could be built with so much water. At what level is the highest flood water flow in the Godavari river how the foundations of the barrages were laid in the riverbed, the nature of the soil that went deep into the riverbed, the hardness of the foundations, the designs of the dam etc., were examined comprehensively.
Last year on October 21, when the Maedigadda barrage suddenly collapsed and the piers split vertically with loud noises, the National Dam Safety Organization specially selected experts from various departments as members to conduct a technical study of the barrages and submit a report with appropriate suggestions. A five-member team of experts led by the former chairman of the Central Water Society, Chandrasekhar Iyer, came here for three days. Toured along the Godavari river and inspected Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages at field level. Reached Hyderabad on 08.03.2024 night. A key meeting was with the chief officials of the Telangana State Irrigation Department on 09.03.2024 morning.
In this meeting, the issues that came to their attention as part of the study of barrages at the field level were reviewed with technical records. Discussion with the representatives of L&T company involved in the construction of Medigadda barrage. During the construction, the barrage designs, their models, rigidity of foundations, pressure on the barrage during flood water flow, water release from the barrage through the gates, speed of water flow, pressure on the barrage if the water is held up to the maximum level in the barrage, strength of the barrage etc., On the first day, a team of experts from the National Dam Safety Committee studied Medigadda, Annaram Barrage, and on the second day, they inspected Sundilla Barrage. The Expert Committee took due care not to involve subcontractors anywhere in the inspection of barrages carried out at the field level.
Only those who were officially awarded the works through tenders from the government were allowed to participate in the study of barrages. Irrigation Department ENC Nagendra has been guiding the team of experts. Chief Engineer Sudhakar Reddy and Quality Control Chief Engineer Venkatakrishna played key roles. Telangana state and chief officers of commissionerate of project safety department also participated along with the expert committee team. On 13th of March 2024, the expert team of National dam safety committee reached Hyderabad from Delhi and took part in a review meeting on the first day and had basic information with the authorities of irrigation department. On the second day that is on 07.03.2024, Medigadda Barrage was inspected. The barrage was studied for about 12 hours. They tried to get the necessary information by holding separate discussions with the officials of the irrigation department and the representatives of the contact companies involved in the construction. It proceeded by cross-checking the information received from both sides.
Inspected blocks 6, 7, 8 damaged in Medigadda barrage. In the seventh block, 19,20,21,22 pillars were examined which were bent and cracked and not vertically split. They examined the pillars that sag into the ground and the bent gates. In addition to the inspection of the front side of the barrage, the second side was also inspected downstream of the barrage. The flood water that entered the barrage went into the control room that controlled the barrage gates. The records of the flood water released downstream through the gates were examined. After inspecting the barrage, a meeting was held with the officials of the irrigation department and the representatives of the contracting company. Barrage designs, nature of soil in Godavari basin, stiffness of foundations, stiffness of soil in subsoil, rock strata and their nature, structure of pillars, etc. were reviewed and records were examined. The expert committee of National Dam Safety Authority visited Annaram Barrage during the inspection of Kaleswaram project. The committee members stayed at Ramagundam on 07.03.2024 night and from there they reached Annaram barrage in the morning. The area of seepages, and leakages formed in the barrage were seen and the details were collected. Extensive study was done on the barrage. They checked at Annaram barrage till afternoon and from there went to Sundilla barrage. The extent of subsidence of the dam at the barrage was closely examined. Going down, the reasons that led to the collapse of piers 19, 20, 21 in block 7 were studied comprehensively. The cracks in the barrage were closely examined.
The committee members noticed that the sand had completely washed away and created a gap at the bottom of the raft. A team of experts examined whether there were any cracks in the piers of blocks 6 and 8 of the barrage. The committee will thoroughly analyze the capacity of the dam and recommend any repairs required. Chandrasekhar Iyer, the former chairman of the Central Water Commission, is heading the expert committee that has examined the barrages thoroughly, taking measurements and finding out the reasons. The committee consists of UC Vidyarthi, a scientist at the Central Soil and Research Station, R Patil, a scientist at the Central Water and Power Research Station, Siva Kumar Sharma and Rahul Kumar Singh, directors of the Central Water Corporation. NDSA Technical Director Amitabh Meena participated as member secretary of the committee. The committee headed by Chandrasekhar Iyer is expected to submit a report within four months. Physical and mathematical model studies related to the designs of the three dams should be examined. It has been clarified that the committee should examine the reasons for the collapse of Medigadda dam and other factors. The committee has to recommend further action and steps to be taken in the case of three dams. The committee should also suggest the steps to be taken to avoid any problems in the future. As part of this, a key meeting was held on 09.03.2024. In this meeting, the expert committee must come to an opinion after discussing the designs, defects in construction, quality, deviations in designs, quality control reports, etc.,
