The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) expert committee has advised against filling the Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Project. This cautionary stance comes as investigations into the project’s safety are still ongoing, with results yet to be fully analyzed.

The NDSA committee, led by Chairman Chandrasekhar Iyer, former head of the Central Water Commission, has made it clear that water should not be stored in these barrages until all safety checks are complete. This decision was communicated during a crucial meeting held in Delhi, where officials from the irrigation department met with the NDSA experts to discuss the project’s status.

During the meeting, it came to light that while all investigations related to the Kaleshwaram Project have been completed, the analysis of the results is still in progress. The NDSA committee emphasized the importance of waiting for this analysis before taking any further steps. They’ve set a timeline to provide the results of their analysis by December, giving the irrigation department a clear deadline to work with.

Interestingly, the committee revealed that floods following a July meeting had interrupted the completion of some tests, contributing to the current delay. This unforeseen circumstance highlights the challenges faced in managing such large-scale water projects.

The NDSA experts have advised the irrigation department to be prepared with necessary plans, designs, and drawings once their report is submitted. They suggested that rehabilitation work on the barrages could potentially begin immediately after receiving the report, which might allow for water storage in the next season. However, they firmly stated that they are not in a position to guarantee safety if the barrages are filled before the completion and analysis of all tests.

-Sanyogita