Hyderabad: A loud noise, sounding like an explosion, was heard near the Lakshmi barrage bridge of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Jayashakar Bhupalpally district on Saturday night due to which a portion of bridge caved in.
According to reports, pillar no. 19, 20 and 21, were sunk below the surface after the explosive sound, which has led officials to suspect sabotage. Irrigation officials immediately conducted an emergency meeting and the traffic was temporarily halted on the bridge across Godavari river that connects Telangana with Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.
Siasat.com spoke to the special chief secretary for irrigation Rajat Kumar, who refused to comment on the incident, stating he is waiting for a detailed report from officials.
The construction of the 1,632-metre-long Lakhsmi barrage bridge, of which 356 metres are on Maharashtra side, was completed four years ago. The bridge has 87 pillars.
BJP reacts
Reacting to the incident, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana president G Kishan Readdy called it “the failure and breakdown of KCR.”
In a post on X, he said, “The failure & breakdown of KCR’s engineering blunder – Kaleshwaram Project, the sinking of Kannepallai and Annaram pump houses during floods, and now the sinking of Medigadda barrage pillars serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of KCR’s failed administration & corruption.”
