Hyderabad: The Telangana government ordered urgent inspections and repair measures to strengthen the Singur reservoir after concerns emerged over structural vulnerabilities, with Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy declaring that Singur dam safety would remain the government’s top priority.
At a high-level meeting in the Secretariat, the minister reviewed safety systems at major dams in the state. Officials briefed him that the National Dam Safety Authority had issued caution regarding the Singur project. Following that alert, state authorities initiated follow-up measures to prevent potential risks.
Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to carry out immediate technical interventions to reinforce the structure. He ordered underwater inspections and accelerated repair works to address identified deficiencies.
The Singur Dam, formally known as the M. Baga Reddy Singur Project in Sangareddy district, has faced scrutiny since mid-2025. Earlier assessments detected embankment cracks, slope erosion, revetment damage, and issues in the plunge pool area. These structural concerns raised warnings of possible flooding downstream.
The reservoir holds a gross storage capacity of 29.91 TMCft. Every year, it supplies about 6–7 TMCft of drinking water to Hyderabad while also supporting irrigation in surrounding regions.
The minister stressed that any operation carrying high risk would remain suspended until full structural strengthening was achieved. Therefore, he directed engineers to ensure that Singur dam safety measures were implemented without delay.
Singur dam safety inspections to include sonar surveys
Officials were instructed to conduct sonar checks and underwater surveys below the bund level. These inspections would help detect hidden structural damage without draining the reservoir.
The minister asked engineers to submit findings within two to three days. Based on those reports, further strengthening measures would be finalised.
In addition, Uttam Kumar Reddy announced plans to visit the dam site shortly to review progress on repair works. He also asked contractors to complete strengthening works within a single working season. According to him, delays must be avoided to prevent crop holidays in command areas.
The minister simultaneously reviewed progress of canal lining works linked to the project. Officials reported that nine kilometres of the planned 13-kilometre canal stretch had already been completed. The remaining four kilometres were pending, and the minister directed authorities to complete the work quickly.
Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and Labour and Employment Minister Vivek Venkata Swamy also attended the meeting.
Singur dam safety review held alongside irrigation land acquisition plans
During the meeting, the minister also examined irrigation infrastructure issues related to Mulugu district. He asked officials to speed up land acquisition, which had slowed several ongoing irrigation projects.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had approved a major allocation of ₹5,000 crore exclusively for land acquisition for irrigation projects.
The government fixed June 2 as the deadline to complete the acquisition process. Officials were told that the move aimed to accelerate all ongoing irrigation schemes across the state.
The minister further directed his Officer on Special Duty, Bhim Prasad, to visit the Palem Vagu project and assess its condition. He asked him to examine unresolved problems related to the gate and regulator systems that had remained pending for several months.
Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Dhanasari Anasuya, also known as Seethakka, participated in the discussions.