Telangana Accelerates Safety Measures for Singur Dam
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad, March 4 (NationPress) Telangana's Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has commanded officials to expedite the safety measures at the Singur Dam with utmost urgency. Alongside Health Minister Damodar Raja Narsimha and Mining and Employment Generation Minister Vivek Venkataswamy, he assessed the dam's safety, which is crucial for supplying drinking water to Hyderabad.
The ministers emphasized that the dam is of significant importance for the state and ensuring its safety is the government's immediate concern.
They instructed the Irrigation Department to adhere to the guidelines set by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) in safeguarding the Singur Dam.
A technical committee is to be formed to oversee the dam safety operations, as recommended by the ministers.
The State Dam Safety Review Panel (DSRP) reported last year that the Singur Dam is at risk of collapse, with a substantial threat of its embankments failing, which could lead to catastrophic loss of life.
Designed to hold 29.91 tmc ft of water and situated upstream of the Manjira reservoir, the dam provides approximately 6.96 tmc ft of water for Hyderabad's drinking supply.
The panel indicated that immediate repairs are essential to prevent a breach. During an inspection, they discovered numerous vertical cracks in the earthen bund that require urgent attention.
The state ministers have instructed engineering officials from the Irrigation Department to finalize the lining works for the Singur project canals by June 26.
Key officials, including Principal Secretary, Irrigation E. Sridhar, participated in this crucial meeting.
Additionally, the ministers urged the Irrigation Department to promptly prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the Peddareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, aimed at irrigating 40,000 acres in the Andol constituency, for submission to the government. They expressed the desire to lay the foundation stone for the scheme by Ugadi.