A high-level meeting on flood management and dam safety held here on Tuesday in the wake of recent heavy flood to Kaddam project has come to an opinion that there is a need to create and additional 2 lakh cusecs flood discharge capacity by creating more vents and replacement of 65-year-old crest gates giving trouble in operation.
The meeting chaired by Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar and attended senior engineers of the department is also understood have discussed at length the report submitted by the dam safety review panel of the Central Water Commission and State dam safety organisation which visited Kaddam and Sriramsagar projects.
A representation was also made on the condition of Kaddam dam by a consultant agency. The Special Chief Secretary stated that flash floods were occurring at Kaddam project as 70% of the rainfall was occurring in the nearby catchment areas of the dam and it was not allowing much time to operate/lift the gates and create sufficient flood cushion.
He explained that even in normal course, at least two hours time would be consumed in lifting all the 18 gates. However, the flash flood rising up to 3 lakh cusecs within an hour of the commencement had been creating problems in flood management at the dam.
As the spillway gates were of 65-year-old (German) technology, it had been getting increasingly difficult in their timely operation during flood. The meeting was of the view that the all the 18 gates need to be replaced in addition to creating an additional 2 lakh cusecs flood discharge capacity with new vents for safe and timely flood management.
On flood mitigation measures for the Godavari river, the meeting discussed in detail the proposals of the expert committee constituted in September last year to conduct detailed surveys all along the catchment of the river Godavari and to study the hydrology and backwater analysis.
The Special Chief Secretary also explained that the impact of Polavaram backwaters was minimised this year as the State government had taken up the matter with Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) well in advance and ensured that all the gates of the project were kept open during the recent flood. He asked the committee to finalise the report on flood management and dam safety measures within a month for submitting it to government.
Engineers-in-Chief C. Muralidhar, B. Nagendra Rao, G. Anil Kumar, B. Hariram, Advisor J. Vijay Prakash, Officer on Special Duty to CM Sridhar Rao Deshpande, chief engineers K. Ramesh (Hydrology), M.A. Hameed Khan, A. Srinivas Reddy and J. Sridevi (O&M) participated.
Decisions taken on flood management/dam safety
To study flood protection works on rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra and others for adopting suitable measures for Godavari
Protection measures be taken for key installations like Bhadrachalam temple, Parnashala, Manuguru Heavy Water Plant
Relocation of affected villages lying in high flood level of Godavari
Of 37 streams joining Godavari river, protection measures be taken for 7 major streams having a discharge of more than 10,000 cusecs
Interventions like groynes/spurs be proposed wherever necessary
Mitigation measures be proposed in river reaches experiencing scours