National dam panel to examine Kaleshwaram project on March 6

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian physical geography

Context:

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has established an expert committee to investigate the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) following concerns over the sinking of piers at the Medigadda barrage.

Details:

This inspection is scheduled due to issues at the Medigadda barrage, Sundilla and Annaram barrages.
The NDSA’s five-member committee, led by J. Chandrasekhar Iyer, a former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), will conduct a comprehensive review.

Madigadda barrage:

The Lakshmi Barrage, also known as the Medigadda Barrage is the starting point of the Kaleshwaram Project which envisages the construction of three barrages between Yellampally & Medigadda.
Its objective is to utilize Godavari water for drinking and irrigation. The Barrage/Project site is located at Medigadda Village, Mahadevpur Mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in Telangana State, India.

Kaleshwaram lift- irrigation project:

It is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana.
The project starts at the confluence point of the Pranahita River and Godavari River.
Originally called the Pranahita-Chevella project in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, it was redesigned, extended and renamed as the Kaleshwaram project in Telangana in 2014.
Need of the project:
- It would bring drinking water and irrigation to the backward areas of Telangana.
- It will also help to restore the groundwater level to its original state by the way of shifting from the usage of groundwater for irrigation to the usage of surface water.
- The project will also support Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha schemes designed to provide drinking water to many villages and improve the capacities of tanks.

National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA):

The Dam Safety Act 2021 was introduced in response to dam failures caused by deficient surveillance and maintenance.
It establishes key responsibilities and requires the formation of national and state-level bodies for its implementation.
The Act outlines the following provisions:
- National Committee on Dam Safety: Responsible for overseeing dam safety policies and regulations.
- National Dam Safety Authority: Tasked with implementing and resolving state-level disputes.
- Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC): Heads dam safety protocols at the national level.
- State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO): To be established at the state level.

Source: TH