HYDERABAD
The Telangana Government has decided to engage the services of Army officers on deputation for the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel excavation work and rehabilitation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) barrages to strengthen their speedy execution and ensure quality and safety.
Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy called on the Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth in New Delhi recently and requested deputation of at least three additional officers of the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers. According to the minister’s office here, the Army Chief has responded positively to the request made by Telangana.
They are likely to be engaged for the SLBC tunnel work supervision along with Col. Parikshit Mehra and the rehabilitation works of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages. The Military Secretary’s Branch of the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence has offered three officers for selection by the Telangana Government.
They include Lt. Col. Satyadev Singh, Lt. Col. Ranjit A. Menon and Lt. Col. H. V. Bhalla. The State Government is likely to take all three officers on deputation and deploy them in its most technically challenging irrigation works.
Capt. Uttam Kumar Reddy met General Dhiraj Seth at the latter’s official residence and personally requested for the deputation of experienced Army engineers to Telangana. He explained the technical complexity and strategic importance of the SLBC tunnel and the repair and rehabilitation of the three Kaleshwaram barrages.
Military officers combine technical competence with leadership, accountability and a mission-oriented approach, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said and added that the State Government’s decision was based on its extraordinary experience of working with Col. Parikshit Mehra.
Under the deployment being considered, one of the three officers would supervise operations at the SLBC tunnel’s two excavation fronts, including work inside the tunnel near the excavation faces. The remaining two officers would be assigned to the repair and rehabilitation works covering the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
The SLBC tunnel is among India’s longest and most technically demanding irrigation tunnels. About 35 km of the approximately 44-km tunnel has already been completed. The Government has fixed June 2028 as the target for completing the remaining work. Advanced geophysical investigations, reinforced ventilation and safety systems, continuous documentation and strict field-level supervision are being incorporated into its execution.
Simultaneously, the Government is proceeding with the scientific rehabilitation of the three Kaleshwaram barrages. Investigations recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority, including soil, concrete and foundation tests, are nearing completion. IIT Bombay and AFRY India are examining the findings and preparing final designs for the required structural interventions.
Published – September 29, 2026 06:58 pm IST
