Telugu Ganga to irrigate 5 lakh acres in Seema

KADAPA: A new scheme Kundu-Telugu Ganga lift irrigation project has been proposed to lift 5 TMC ft flood water from Kundu river, to deliver it to Telugu Ganga main canal at 107 km, within 90 days of time.

Kundu river begins at Rajoli anicut in Kadapa district and runs for a length of 61 kilometres and falls in to Adinimmayapalli anicut. The flood discharge (based on 75 per cent dependability) calculated from the year 1999-2017 has been arrived as 52.328 TMC.ft. It has been proposed to construct a weir, with 300 metres length, on Kundu river, near Jonnavaram Village, of Duvvuru mandal and to fill Duvvuru tank, then to lift Duvvuru tank to drop into TG main canal at 107 kilometres to meet a level of 79.3 metres in two lifts.

From the first lift to second lift, a three rowed pipeline was proposed for a distance of 6 km. From the second lift to TG main canal, 2 km length three-rowed pipe line will be arranged. The pipelines will flow the water at a capacity of 650 cusecs.

This is the project proposed by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and he announced it at the Jammalamadugu public meeting. It was requested by the public, while Jagan was conducting ‘Padayatra’ before the elections.

Following the Chief Minister’s statement, the officers made plans for the lift irrigation project. The irrigation experts have been praising the CM’s proposal as wise planning. The project requires only 52 acres of land acquisition in Jonnavaram, Venkupalli, and Neelapuram in Duvvuru mandal. The officers had proposed a three-rowed, two metre dia pipelining to flow the water up to TG main canal. The total project was proposed at a cost of Rs 310 crores with land acquisition. The officers have estimated Rs 6,15, 60,000 for the land acquisition.

Telugu Ganga project is an inter-state project  formulated to irrigate 5.75 lakh acres in drought prone areas of Rayalaseema and uplands of Nellore district, by utilising 29 TMC.ft.  Krishna flood flows and 30 TMC.ft. of Pennar flood flows and to provide 15 TMC ft drinking water to Chennai city.

The TG main canal takes off from Veligodu balancing reservoir and enters in Kadapa district at 98.260 km, falls in to subsidiary reservoir-I (SR-I) at 108.36 km, falls in to subsidiary reservoir –II (SR-II) at 113.344 km and falls in to Brahmamsagar reservoir at 140.531 km. The capacity of Brahmamsagar reservoir is 17.730 TMC ft. The ayacut is 1.67 lakh acres in Kadapa district.

As monsoon failure is a common phenomena in the district, 63 tanks are being fed through TG canal system in addition to drinking water and industrial water.

As this is the project scenario, Brahmamsagar requires to be filled to a minimum of 12 TMC.ft. every year. But from the inception of the project, it had not been filled every year. In the above situation, an alternative is necessitated to fill SR-I, SR-II and Brahmamsagar Reservoir. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, project  engineer O. Sarada said that following the Chief Minister’s orders, we have made an estimate for the project and have sent it to the government.

When we get the government’s approval, then a notification will be issued for tender, she said.