Vigilance probe holds L&T responsible for Medigadda Barrage damage

Fractures appearing at a vent in the harmed block of Medigadda Barrage of Kaleshwaram Project.|Picture Credit: By Special Arrangement

The Vigilance and Enforcement questions going on into the damage suffered on the Medigadda Barrage, an essential element of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), following sinking of about half-a-dozen piers on the night of October 21 last has actually repaired the main obligation on L&T, the company that built the 1.632 km long structure.

Highly-placed sources informed The Hindu that the field, the assessment performed at the barrage website with the aid of engineering professionals for 2 days has actually exposed numerous defects from the phase of structure of the structure itself. Even more, it was discovered that there was no appropriate upkeep of the structure, which is almost four-year old, as the damage was not an advancement that took place over night.

Queries with the engineers who belonged to the execution of the barrage have actually exposed to the alertness probe group that some fractures on the harmed piers, although they were little at first, began establishing 24-36 months back itself. The V&E authorities were comprehended to preparing the initial report for sending it to the federal government repairing the very first duty on the agreement company.

“Our queries with the Irrigation department authorities have actually exposed that no senior official/engineer went to the barrage considering that conclusion of its building in 2019 till the occurrence of pier displacement took place on October 21. It’s the duty of work firm to determine the specific cause for the damage and remedy it without squandering much time as one crop season is on the brink of loss,” sources described.

The watering structures such as dams and barrages need to make it through a minimum of 75 years as is the life of cement-concrete mix enhanced with steel. The barrage, which would have lower hydrological pressure compared to dams holding substantial amount of water, must not have actually stopped working so early as it holds little volume of water for the function of diversion, a senior main part of the probe stated.

Defects were seen in the style, building and construction of the barrage from structure phase and quality check/control throughout and after building and construction and the next phase of their query would be repair the obligation on officials/engineers associated with the task execution. “We will likewise penetrate the function of the bureaucrats and repair obligation on them, if they are discovered to be doing not have in acting appropriately in decision-making,” a probe authorities asserted.