29-04-2025
Andhra govt told to take up repairs to Srisailam reservoir immediately
Vijayawada:
National Dam Safety Authority
(NDSA) chairman
made a field visit to the Srisailam project on Tuesday and took a first-hand account of the damage. A team of experts from NDSA accompanied Jain during his visit to the project.
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After going through the field level situation, the NDSA chairman asked the state govt to start the repair works immediately. He said that any delay in taking up the work will result in serious damage to the project.
The state water resources department special chief secretary G Sai Prasad explained that they have submitted a proposal to the Centre for grant of Rs 284 crore under the '
Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project
' (Drip) scheme for taking up repairs at the Srisailam project.
He said that the proposal was cleared by the Jal Shakti ministry and pending for final clearance from the Union finance ministry. However, NDSA chief Jain asked the state govt to start the work without waiting for the fund release from the Drip scheme. He said that there should be certain improvements in the condition before the monsoon. He said that it would not be possible to take up the work once the flow in Krishna river commenced.
He added that it was not wise to wait for the fund release from the Centre even as time is running out. He wanted that the repairs to the damaged plunge pool and apron should be taken up on a priority basis. He directed the state govt to complete the approach road to the apron of the project in the first phase. He had also directed the state govt to initiate work to prevent the landslide from the hillslopes abutting the Srisailam reservoir.
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"You should commence the works with the state fund in case the releases from the Centre gets delayed. We can't put the dam safety at stake," said Anil Jain. He also reviewed the safety measures initiated by the state govt at the other major projects in the state. NDSA identified that immediate safety measures should be taken at six projects. Jain directed the officials to take up an assessment of the projects which were considered weak and submit a report to the Centre.
Taking the instructions of the NDSA chief with a serious note, the state govt directed the officials to ready the proposals to invite tenders to take up some works immediately.
