Irrigation Failures Cause Crop Loss in Nalgonda District

Nalgonda: Poor maintenance of irrigation projects and canals have caused frequent washouts of gates and breaches in canals in Nalgonda district. The incidents have also resulted in wastage of water and submergence of crops over thousands of acres, when the previous BRS government as in power.

When a crest gate of the Musi project at Bopparam in Nalgonda district was washed away on October 6, 2019, 30,000 acres didn’t get water for two crop seasons. It took the irrigation department nearly one year to fix a new crest gate.

Gate 16 of the KLR Pulichinthala project in Suryapet district was washed away when its supporting ropes broke on August 6, 2021.

On September 7, 2022, the left canal of the Nagarjunasagar was breached near Vempadu of Nidmanoor mandal in Nalgonda district forcing officials to stop release of water for more than one week. Poor lining of the canal and lack of regular check-up by irrigation officials were determined to have caused the breaches.

Condition of Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) stage-II canal is worse with no stone lining and bushes grown in the canal. Farmers themselves removed the bushes, highlighting negligence of the irrigation department. The previous BRS government had never fortified the canal.

Sub-minor 6L canal and 4R canal of the 71st distributory canal of SRSP stage-II was breached at Nagaram on July 21, 2021. The SRSP main canal was breached at Dharmapuram of Penphad mandal on April 18, 2021.

The collapse of the retaining wall of intake well of Sunkishala drinking water scheme on August 1, built by the then BRS government, took place due to lack of monitoring by the officials.

Telangana Rythu Sangam leader M. Narsi Reddy said irrigation officials had not taken steps to check the condition of canals before releasing water to them.