HYDERABAD: It is now official. The secretary of the Department of Water Resources raised apprehensions about the design safety of the structures in the Integrated Sita Rama Lift Irrigation and Sitamma Sagar Multipurpose Project in light of a recent report by the National Dam Safety Authority Committee constituted for the Meddigadda barrage under the Kaleshwaram Project.
The minutes of the technical advisory committee meeting held in February on the Integrated Sita Rama Lift Irrigation and Sitamma Sagar Multipurpose Project were made available on Thursday.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 19,954.10 crore. The minutes said: “The Central Water Commission (CWC) does not check designs when a due certificate from the State Central Design Office is furnished. Secretary (WR, RD & GR), however, stated that she would like to make an exception and directed CWC to review the design of the project within one month and reconvene the meeting of the Advisory Committee thereafter, to which the CWC chairman agreed.
After detailed deliberations, the project was deferred by the advisory committee at the meeting. The committee observed that the design aspects of the project will be appraised by the CWC within one month. The project authorities should collaborate with the MoEF&CC to address and mitigate the project’s environmental impact, including resolving outstanding issues.
The project authorities should come up with a concrete plan for introducing micro-irrigation as well as a piped distribution network whenever possible.