Hyderabad: The Telangana Retired Engineers Association (TREA) of the irrigation department has asked the govt to conduct model and feasibility studies before finalising the Tummidihatti barrage site as part of the Pranahitha-Chevella lift irrigation project. TREA president M Shyamprasad Reddy and honorary president D Damodar Reddy met irrigation advisor Adityanath Das on Wednesday and made some recommendations and suggestions regarding the barrage site.TREA had also played a crucial role in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and submitted a report to the then BRS govt. The association stated that, as per the present ground reality and the agreement with Maharashtra, the full reservoir level (FRL) of the proposed Tummidihatti barrage is only 148 metres. Hence, the location of the proposed barrage should be finalised only after getting positive results from technical feasibility studies.“After studying the location, we came across a few observations regarding the flow patterns of the two rivers, Wardha and Wainganga, which have different catchment areas, rainfall patterns, and hydrographs. Their velocities, discharges, and peak timing differ significantly. This produces non-uniform inflow to the barrage sections and the connecting bund,” the association said. TREA added that, as a result, large eddies, cross-currents, and secondary (helical) flows are likely to form, especially near the 2.1 km link zone and the artificial confluence created by the structure.The association suggested that different alternatives for the barrage should be studied. “One alternative has been submitted to the govt earlier, a site near Borepally, 9 km from Tummidihatti across Pranahitha, which was already referred to the consultant Arleen Associates for feasibility studies in Jan this year,” the association said.Before finalising the location and configuration of the barrage, model studies should be carried out for the present proposed site at the confluence of two rivers, as well as for all other alternatives, in accordance with the central water commission’s detailed project report norms, the association members said.
