Hyderabad: Irrigation experts and intellectuals have urged the Telangana govt to prioritise the Tummidihatti project instead of spending vast sums on repairing the Medigadda barrage, where multiple piers in block 7 have sunk and others have developed cracks. Speaking at a round table discussion titled ‘NDSA Final Report–Future of Kaleshwaram Project,’ organised by the Telangana Jala Sadhana Samithi on Thursday, participants described the Kaleshwaram project as one of the most corrupt in the country’s history.Irrigation expert PG Sastry, presenting an analysis of the Kaleshwaram project and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report, highlighted that constructing barrages on sand beds poses significant engineering challenges compared to rocky terrain. He said that the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages were all built on sand beds — an inherently unstable foundation for large-scale water storage.“These barrages were designed to hold only 2.5 to 3 tmcft of water, but the previous govt stored far more—16 tmcft in Medigadda, 12 tmcft in Annaram, and 8 tmcft in Sundilla. When such large volumes are stored, the structure functions more like a dam than a barrage. This excessive storage caused serious damage to the spillways and foundation,” Sastry explained.Jala Sadhana Samithi convenor Nainala Govardhan accused the previous BRS govt of compromising the project under the guise of redesign. He called it one of the biggest scams in independent India and recommended that the govt divert funds towards the Tummidihatti project instead of attempting to salvage Medigadda.Former judge of high court, Justice Chandra Kumar, questioned why no action had been taken against those responsible, even after the NDSA submitted its final report on the Medigadda and other barrages.