Three Indian Army engineers — Lt Col Satyadev Singh, Lt Col Ranjit A Menon and Lt Col HV Bhalla — have been deputed to the Telangana State government service to work with the Irrigation Department on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and the repair and rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
Under the deputation arrangement, one of the three officers will supervise operations at the two excavation fronts of the SLBC tunnel, including work inside the tunnel near the excavation faces. The remaining two officers will be assigned to repair and rehabilitation works covering the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which form part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The State government has decided to strengthen the execution of the SLBC tunnel project and the rehabilitation of the three Kaleshwaram barrages by engaging additional officers from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers.
The deputation follows a representation made by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 27, 2026. Subsequently, Military Secretary Manvendra Singh issued orders for the deputation of three Army officers to Telangana, where they will be deployed for irrigation-related works.
Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy had also met Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth at his official residence in Delhi and requested the deputation of experienced Army engineers to the State. During the meeting, he explained the technical complexity and importance of the SLBC tunnel as well as the requirements involved in the repair and rehabilitation of the three Kaleshwaram barrages.
Following the meeting, Army Headquarters communicated the names of the three officers to the State government for consideration, leading to their deputation for the irrigation works.
The SLBC tunnel is a major component of the irrigation works in Telangana. Tunnel 1 of the project is a 43.93-kilometre-long tunnel originating from the left bank of the Srisailam reservoir. According to the information provided by the Telangana government, about 35 kilometres of the approximately 44-kilometre tunnel have already been completed.
The State government has fixed June 2028 as the target for completing the remaining work on the SLBC tunnel. The ongoing execution includes advanced geophysical investigations, reinforced ventilation and safety systems, continuous documentation and field-level supervision.
One of the newly deputed Army engineers will specifically supervise operations at the tunnel’s two excavation fronts, including activities inside the tunnel near the excavation faces. This assignment is intended to provide additional engineering supervision for the technically demanding work involved in completing the remaining sections.
The deputation of the three officers also follows the Telangana government’s experience with Col Parikshit Mehra, who has been serving with the State on deputation for around two years. Col Mehra has been associated with the SLBC tunnel as well as the repair and rehabilitation planning for Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla.
According to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Col Mehra’s technical knowledge, field-level involvement and ability to coordinate complex operations have been valuable to the Irrigation Department. The State government subsequently sought the deputation of additional experienced Army engineers.
The government is simultaneously proceeding with the 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 structural interventions required at the barrages.
The three Army engineers will therefore be deployed across two major areas of work — supervision of excavation activities at the SLBC tunnel and repair and rehabilitation efforts involving Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla.
The Telangana government has stated that its objective is to complete the SLBC tunnel within the stipulated timeframe and restore the three Kaleshwaram barrages to a safe and functional condition. At the same time, the State has emphasised that the pace of execution will not come at the cost of worker safety, engineering standards or the long-term stability of the structures.
The decision to seek additional Army engineers was also influenced by the State government’s experience with Col Parikshit Mehra. The government said his contribution reinforced its view that experienced military engineers could provide specialised expertise for technically complicated infrastructure assignments.
The deputation brings the professional expertise of the Army’s Corps of Engineers into ongoing irrigation and infrastructure works in Telangana. The three officers will now support the State government in areas ranging from tunnel excavation supervision to the repair and rehabilitation of major irrigation structures.
The assignment also reflects the institutional cooperation between the Telangana government and the Indian Army in securing specialised engineering expertise for complex infrastructure works, with the newly deputed officers set to contribute to the execution and supervision of the SLBC and Kaleshwaram-related works.
