Medigadda barrage flagged as highest risk irrigation project by NDSA

Hyderabad: The Medigadda barrage, which is a major part of Telangana’s Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), has been identified by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) as the irrigation project with the most serious safety concerns in the country.

It has raised questions about the structural stability and long-term sustainability of the barrage.

Inspections highlight deficiencies in Medigadda barrage

The NDSA, which conducted post-monsoon inspections of 1,681 specified dams across India in 2025, has placed the Medigadda barrage under Category I, which is the highest risk classification.

The NDSA has recommended the complete removal and reconstruction of block 7 of the Medigadda barrage. The authority has also suggested additional remedial measures to strengthen the overall structure.

For the Sundilla and Annaram barrages, which are also part of the Kaleshwaram project, similar safety-related interventions have been advised.

Details revealed in Lok Sabha reply

The assessment was disclosed in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary.

The response was provided following questions raised by TDP MPs G Lakshminarayana and Byreddy Shabari regarding the safety of dams that are more than 50 years old.

Plans to repair damaged barrages of Kaleshwaram project

Recently, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed the Irrigation Department officials to come out with constructive plans for the repair of the Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages.

He also directed officials to ensure that the contract agencies are held responsible for the damage to the three barrages.

The Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages are part of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project built by the previous BRS government.

After Congress came to power, it ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the project. After the PC Ghose Commission submitted its report, the state government decided to hand over the case to the CBI.

The NDSA had also probed the damage to the three barrages and confirmed the structural collapse due to defects in their design, construction, and management.