The Irrigation Department has decided to take the help of an expert from Jammu and Kashmir to address the seepage and mud-sliding problem, which has become a major stumbling block in the progress of the work, in the Kaleshwaram project tunnel excavation taken up as part of package-seven.
The decision was taken by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao during his inspection of the work on Thursday. He spoke to the expert by name Chauhan over the phone and requested him to be at the problematic work site by Friday night. The Minister stated that he had agreed to attend the problem and supervise the work for a fortnight personally.
The Minister stated that only 250 metres’ work was pending in the excavation of twin tunnel for a length of 15 km each taken up as part of package-seven. The left tunnel was completed already but the work on right tunnel was pending due to seepage of water into it, excavated parallel to the Kakatiya Canal of Sriramsagar project and the resultant mud-sliding. The problem had already delayed the work by five-six months, he noted.
Lining of the twin tunnel running for a total length of 30 km would be taken up once the pending work in one of the tunnels was over, Mr. Harish Rao said. In spite of the delay, the Minister said he was hopeful that the project would create history soon, once the components for lifting water to Sriramsagar system, during the monsoon season, was ready.
The Minister said work on Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and three pump houses was making a swift progress. In package-six, tunnel excavation and lining for 11 km was completed and the underground surge pool work was expected to be completed by July 10. In all, four pumps would be functional in packages six to eight to lift about 1.2 tmc ft water per day to the Sriramsagar system.
Stating that Medaram reservoir work was completed in a record time, the Minister said arrangements would be made to fill the reservoir by July-end or in August. The date of taking water to Mid Manair reservoir, Sriramsagar system, would be finalised once the pending tunnel work in package-seven was completed. The Minister said 100 days’ target had been fixed for completion of the work on setting up the underground 400 kv sub-station in package-six.
