HYDERABAD: While Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) has gained recognition as the biggest lift irrigation project in the world, one component of that project Medigadda has its own distinction.
Medigadda is the first in a chain of 20 pumping stations of this mega lift irrigation project.
With a trial run of pumps and motors as well as the lifting of water at Medigadda on Friday, the Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) has surpassed its own record.
After the inauguration of the KLIS project, when chief ministers K Chandrasekhar Rao, Devendra Fadnavis and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the forebay and pump house, MEIL Managing Director PV Krishna Reddy explained the features of the project, the pump house and the motors installed. After that Chandrasekhar Rao switched on the motor.
Meanwhile, the world’s biggest pump house package 8 at Lakshmipur, where each machine has a capacity of 139 MWs and a total of 973 MWs, was inaugurated by Minister Jagadish Reddy.
A pump operated with 40 MWs capacity released 60 cusecs of water through delivery cistern into the gravitational canal (13.5 kms).
Earlier, water traversed from pump (pressure main) through delivery main up to 1.53 kms. Water through the gravitational canal will reach the upper part of Annaram Barrage.
B Venumadhav, Chief General Manager of MEIL, said: “Medigadda pump house is constructed in a way that each one unit with a capacity of 40 MWs would lift 60 cusecs of water. As part of the first phase, 11 units with a total capacity of 440 MWs would start functioning. This pump house is constructed in just one and a half year. Approach canal with a capacity of 9.75 lakhs cubic meters, with walls of 51,000 cubic meters have been completed. Pump house forebay (front area) has a capacity of 45.73 lakh cubic meters.”
“MEIL has made it possible to complete all these works within the stipulated deadlines. A mega canal with a capacity of 1.50 crore cubic meters would enable water reaches the upper part of Annaram Barrage from Medigadda lift point”.