KADAPA: Even two years after the Annamayya Project got washed away in the deluge, the works for its reconstruction are yet to be grounded. Project investigation is still under progress and officials are waiting for design approval.
Officials exuded confidence that required approvals would be acquired in another couple of months, and once they are issued, the works will be grounded and the project will be completed within the stipulated time.
It is to be recalled that, during the early hours of November 19, 2021, when everyone was in deep sleep, the earthen bund of Annamayya project on Cheyyeru river collapsed due to unprecedented inflows following heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the project.
Flash floods caused due to heavy rains resulted in large volumes of water gushing out of the dam at Badanagadda in Rajampet mandal, breaching the earthen bund.The project, with a storage capacity of 2.239 TMC and a discharge rate of 1.18 lakh cusecs, had received inflows at the rate of 3.2 lakh cusecs in just a few hours. The floodwater flowing over one metre above the bund caused the breach as the dam could not sustain the pressure.
As the reconstruction of the dam was almost equivalent to constructing a new one and with the government specific efforts to ensure that there is no scope for another accident, engineers and experts have made repeated trips to design boards and are currently waiting for the approval.
Taking into account the past floods in Cheyyeru riverlet, it was decided to enhance the project capacity and have more spill gates and replace earthen bund with a concrete one. After the experts committee, constituted to examine the project, made its recommendations, it was decided to have 16 spill gates in place of the existing five.
On November 2, 2022, the government issued an order giving administrative approval for Rs 787.77 crore estimated cost for Annamayya project reconstruction. On December 21, tenders were called for the project with an estimated cost of Rs 635 crore. In January this year, the tender process was completed and the state-level standing committee approved the tenders in March first week. Hyderabad-based Raghava Constructions bagged the tender with 3.94 per cent excess.
Agreement was signed on March 27, with assurance to complete the project in 24 months at the estimated cost of Rs 660.23 crore. Following the agreement, project investigation commenced and soil testing was done. It was decided to have a foundation from 30m-40m deep in the river bed.
After central designs organisation (CDO) officials visited the project site and studied the proposals, it was decided to increase the number of spill gates to 21 and later it was revised to 26 gates with total discharge capacity of 8.23 lakh cusecs and accordingly designs were made and the same were sent for approval to CDO. Officials involved with the project said a clarity on the project could only emerge after the designs are approved.Meanwhile, with budget allocations for Pincha Project, upstream of Annamayya project, the works have commenced and Rs 20 lakh were sanctioned for maintenance to Annamayya project.
“We have sent designs and have been attending the remarks and suggestions made by CDO and submitting revised designs. Now we are waiting for final approval. Increase of spill gats to 26 will enhance discharge capacity to 8.23 lakh, which will negate any threat to the project in future. Had we opted for earthen bund like before, the work would be easy, but keeping in mind the long lasting safety needs of the project, construction of concrete structure has been taken up which needs to be done very carefully,” Annamayya project executive engineer Ravi Kiran told TNIE.