Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project

The National Dam Safety Authority-India’s national safety regulator for large dams, has found “irreparable damage” in the structure of three barrages that are part of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

• KLIP, hailed as the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, is critical to northern Telangana’s water security, making these findings deeply alarming.

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project-Key Details:

• Location: Godavari River, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Telangana.
• Inception: Project began in June 2019.
• Purpose: To irrigate, and provide water for domestic and industrial use across 13 districts.
• Scale:
  • Covers 500 km of project length.
  • 1,800 km of canal network.
  • Involves lifting water rather than relying on gravity, using energy-intensive pumps and surge pools.

Current Issue:

• Flooding Incident: In October 2023, the largest barrage experienced unexplained flooding, prompting safety concerns.
• Inspection: In February 2024, the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) conducted a formal inspection.
• Findings: As of now, three barrages have suffered irreversible structural damage, possibly due to:
  • Design flaws.
  • Construction shortcuts.
  • Poor maintenance.
  • Excessive or mismanaged water pressure/load.

National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)

• Dam Safety Act 2021 provides for four tiers of institutional mechanism: establishment of National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) and National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) at Centre level and establishment of State Committee on Dam Safety and the State Dam Safety Organization at State level.
• National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) is a Statutory Body set up by the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 8(1) of the National Dam Safety Act,2021.
• The National Dam Safety Authority has it’s headquarter at New Delhi.
• A key function of the Authority is to resolve any issue between the State Dam Safety Organisations of States or between a State Dam Safety Organisation and any owner of a specified dam in that state, as per the notification.
• According to the National Register of Large Dams, there are 5,264 completed large dams in the country, while 437 were under construction.