HYDERABAD
Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary told the Lok Sabha on Thursday that three dams in the country, including the Medigadda barrage in the Kaleshwaram LI project in Telangana, have the “most serious deficiencies” and are classified as Category I by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
Category I indicates the most serious deficiencies and if left unattended can lead to their failure, he said in response to a question by two Telugu Desam Party MPs. Two other dams are Lower Khajuri Dam in Uttar Pradesh and Bokaro Dam in Jharkhand.
The Ministry of Transport further explained to Jal Shakti that according to information provided by NDSA, the 2025 post-monsoon inspection reports indicated that these three dams were included in Category I. In addition, 216 dams were included in Category II — 69 of which are older than 50 years.
He said that out of the ₹100 crore allocation for the 2025–26 Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (DRIP-II) for Telangana, no amount had been spent as on 31 December 2025.
Category II indicates major deficiencies requiring immediate remedial action and Category II required minor remedial action that can be rectified within a year, he explained, saying that according to the National Register of Specified Dams compiled by the NDSA, there are 1,681 dams in the country that are over 50 years old.
It was in October 2023, part of the jetty of the Medigadda barrage was submerged, severely damaging the structure. Later, the NDSA identified several deficiencies in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the structure by the state irrigation department.
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy had announced in October last year that the government would soon start the rehabilitation of the Medigadda barrage in accordance with the recommendations of the NDSA report.
Published – 29 Jan 2026 21:38 IST
