VIJAYAWADA: After facing hurdles on Thursday, the experts’ team removed the beam and the hoist bridge (skywalk) and installed one of the five stoplogs at crest gate No 19 of the TB dam on Friday.
With this, the team members are confident of completing the stoplog installation work by Saturday evening. They removed the beam and the hoist bridge with the help of two heavy duty cranes. However, they could not fix the metal stoplog manufactured by JSW Steel Ltd’s local plant because of some design error. Four stoplogs manufactured by two other companies are error-free.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed his satisfaction over the successful completion of the first stop log installation. The officials managed to initiate the installation process even as water continued to flow at high volumes. The operation was carried out under the leadership of retired State official Kannayya Naidu.
The installation process, divided into three phases, saw the successful completion of its first phase. The State government provided the necessary assistance to the Karnataka government. Minister Payyavula Keshav from Anantapur district kept the Chief Minister informed about latest developments.
Naidu praised the collective effort that made the seemingly impossible task possible and extended his congratulations to everyone involved in the operation and conveyed his special thanks to Kannayya Naidu for his efforts during the crisis. He instructed State officials to continue work in coordination to resolve the issue.