‘Govt. contemplating inquiry by retired SC judge into Medigadda pier-sinking incident’

The AG informed the bench that NDSA had constituted a six-member committee on March 1 to study the causes resulting in sinking of the piers at Medigadda.

Action would be initiated against more officials once the final report is submitted by the Vigilance and Enforcement department probing the sinking of three piers at Medigadda barrage, Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy told Telangana High Court on Monday.

Responding to a query from a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti hearing a PIL petition over Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, the AG said the State government had written to the National Dam Safety Authority to inquire into the sinking of piers at Medigadda and submit a report on the matter. Explaining the government’s stand on the matter, the AG told the bench that the government had already terminated the services of Ramagundam Engineer-in-Chief N.Venkateswarlu. Another Engineer-in-Chief (General) of Irrigation department was directed to tender his resignation.

The AG told the bench that the government was contemplating a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of Supreme Court or High Court in the matter under Section 3(1) of the Commission of Inquiry Act-1952. Mr. Sudarshan Reddy informed the HC that the government, in a communication on February 13, had asked the NDSA to conduct a thorough inspection, study the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the barrages at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla.

The AG informed the bench that NDSA had constituted a six-member committee on March 1 to study the causes resulting in sinking of the piers at Medigadda. The committee would also recommend steps to further ascertain facets and mitigate the distress condition of the barrages there. The AG informed the HC that NDSA in its report presented on November 1, 2023, had stated that the piers sunk due to a combination of issues involving planning, design, quality control along with operation and maintenance.

According to NDSA report, the primary reason was the settlement of the barrage raft. The piers, being monolith, have also settled, moved and cracked, the report said. This could have happened due to multiple reasons like piping, wherein transportation of foundation material had occurred, inadequate bearing capacity of foundation material (sand), failure of upstream secant piles due to barrage load, the report said. The NDSA opined that only a detailed investigation would help ascertain the causes for sinking of the piers.

The bench deferred hearing of the plea for four months having perused the report and taking on record action initiated by the government. The PIL petition was filed by Congress leader G. Niranjan seeking an investigation into the execution of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) by the previous government led by Bharat Rashtra Samithi, alleging that public money worth crores of rupees was misused.

The bench, hearing another writ petition on KLIS, directed the petitioner B. Ram Mohan Reddy, also an advocate, to amend the petition by impleading necessary parties, within two weeks.