Telangana Govt invites EOI for rehabilitation designs of Kaleshwaram barrages

Hyderabad: Telangana government calls for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from reputed design agencies to prepare plans for rehabilitation of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages constructed under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

EOI Notification

According to a notification issued by the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department, agencies are invited for empanelment to design rehabilitation works for Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages based on the findings of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).

Proposals must be submitted before October 15, the Chief Engineer of the Central Designs Organisation said.

Dam Safety Authority’s warning

The NDSA committee was tasked with probing the barrages after several piers of the Medigadda structure sank in October 2023. In its final report submitted in April 2025, the panel recommended comprehensive rehabilitation designs for all three barrages.

The report flagged serious concerns, including sand piping, cavity formation beneath the raft, construction flaws and design deficiencies. These issues, first identified in Block 7 of the Medigadda barrage, were found to pose risks to other blocks and even the upstream barrages.

Structural Distress in Annaram, Sundilla

The 378-page report concluded that Annaram and Sundilla, built on similar designs, had also developed structural distress and were unserviceable. It advised that rehabilitation plans be prepared by reputed institutions and reviewed by the Central Water Commission, given the complexity of the work.

Minister blames previous regime

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy recently directed officials to speed up the process of identifying and engaging consultants for the restoration work.

He alleged that the NDSA report was a “direct indictment” of the previous BRS government, holding it responsible for design flaws and financial mismanagement.

He further charged that the BRS regime had “mortgaged Telangana’s future” by borrowing over Rs 1 lakh crore at high interest rates for a project that failed during its tenure.

Parallel probe into irregularities

Separately, the PC Ghose Commission, headed by the former Supreme Court judge, was constituted in March 2024 to examine irregularities in planning, design, construction, quality control and maintenance of the three barrages. The panel submitted its report to the state government on July 31, 2025.

After an extensive debate in the Assembly on August 31, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced that the case relating to irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).