HYDERABAD: The Irrigation department has proposed the formation of an expert committee, headed by former Central Water Commission (CWC) chairman and dam safety expert AB Pandya, to chart a way forward as recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) in its final report concerning the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief G Anil Kumar on Tuesday sent the proposal to the Irrigation Secretary.
The proposal recommended Pandya as the chairman of the committee, with the engineer-in-chief (General), engineer-in-chief (O&M), SDSO, chief engineer of CDO, CWPRS Director Prabhas Chandra, retired CE of DSRP (mechanical expert) K Satyanarayana, NIT-Warangal professor N Ramana Murthy, a geotechnical/geologist/geo-rock mechanics expert, and IIT-Hyderabad professor R Satish, a hydrology expert, as members, while the Chief Engineer (I), Ramagundam, will be the member-convener. The panel will also have two subject experts on board, on an invitation basis.
The committee may also engage other experts as needed. Honorarium for members and invitees, excluding departmental officers, will align with Panels 1 and 2 of the Dam Safety Review Panels (DSRPs). The proposed daily remuneration is Rs 12,000 (including GST) for the chairman, capped at Rs 1.2 lakh per month, and Rs 10,000 (including GST) for members, capped at Rs 1 lakh per month.
A fixed amount of Rs 800 per day will be paid for conveyance. Air or first-class AC train travel costs will be reimbursed. Payments will be made from the Kaleshwaram head.
It may be recalled that the piers of the Medigadda barrage sank in October 2023. The NDSA submitted its report in April 2025, recommending rehabilitation designs for all three barrages. The NDSA advised that the damaged seventh block of the Medigadda barrage should not be used for gate operations and should either be safely decommissioned or stabilised in situ without affecting adjacent blocks.