HYDERABAD: Minor Irrigation Chief Engineer KSS Chandrasekhar on Friday told the PC Ghose Commission that at the time he was serving as Superintending Engineer (SE), Central Design Organisation (CDO) — the time the designs for the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme were being prepared — they did not have any information regarding the usage of secant piles in hydraulic structures in the country.
Secant piles are generally used for infrastructure development and seashore structures only, Chandrasekhar told the Commission of Inquiry on the Kaleshwaram project. His revelation assumes importance as the use of secant piles is said to be one of the reasons for the sinking of piers of Medigadda barrage of Kaleshwaram.
Chandrasekhar said that when the Medigadda boreholes indicated sand with gravel soils, the field engineers and contracting agency L&T suggested the use of secant piles. “But, at that time, we do not have any information of their usage in India in hydraulic structures,” he said, in response to the Commission’s question why secant piles were adopted in Medigadda barrage.
The official said that the field engineers and L&T proposed secant pile walls and asked the CDO to give designs for the same.
Asked about the allegation that the studies of shooting velocities were not properly done by the CDO chief engineer, Chandrasekhar said: “It’s not correct”. He, however, said that they could not get higher shooting velocities and the same was also mentioned in the model studies report. Chandrasekhar said that they prepared the designs as per the Central Water Commission and IS Code manuals.
Meanwhile, the Commission grilled former engineer-in-chief Nalla Venateswarlu, who was the chief engineer when the Kaleshwaram was constructed, on the second day on Friday.