Kavitha rebuts Medigadda collapse claims, urges repairs and irrigation restart

Hyderabad: BRS MLC K. Kavitha dismissed reports of a Medigadda barrage collapse as “entirely false” and demanded immediate repairs and resumption of irrigation through the Kaleshwaram project, warning against using the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) as a pretext to deny water to farmers.

Responding to speculation on social media, Kavitha said only two pillars in the seventh block had sunk, and insisted the structure remained functional. She noted that 5,657 TMC of water had been released downstream since the damage, with more than half flowing through the affected block without incident.

As heavy rains in upstream Maharashtra and Karnataka push floodwaters into Kaleshwaram and its feeder projects, officials are recording daily readings at the seventh block of the barrage. Other blocks are being monitored fortnightly. Data is sent to the National Dam Safety Authority every 15 days.

Kavitha urged the government to act, asserting that with repairs, Medigadda could serve as Telangana’s “lifeline.” She called for an end to “deliberate delays” and demanded that Kaleshwaram motors be restarted to supply water to agricultural lands.