Telangana: Komaram Bheem Project Faces Flood Threats Due to Cracks
Adilabad: The Komaram Bheem project, which had developed cracks on the right side of its spillway in 2022, is facing flood threats following rains in the upper catchment areas and the project receiving fresh inflows, in Asifabad district.
The authorities have failed to make repairs to the project to keep it intact. Surprisingly, the irrigation officials covered the cracks by covering it with tarpaulin. Villagers in downstream areas are fearing possible discharge of flood water. Last year, the irrigation department had discharged flood water downstream to save the project.
This year too, the department is trying to ensure that the water storage does not reach the bund level and they maintain this by discharging flood water downstream.
While the storage capacity of the project is 10.6 TMC, the irrigation department always maintains that there is no more than 5 TMC of water in the project.
Asifabad MLA Kova Laxmi said the project is facing a threat from possible floods following rain since the department has failed to carry out repairs to the cracks in the bund.
It is said that the department did not get adequate funds from the state government when BRS was in power and the same situation continues now. The Komaram Bheem project has become a monument of neglect with no operations and water supply after its inauguration.
The project aims to irrigate 30,000 acres through its right canal and an additional ayacut of 15,000 acres were added to it. The project cost was increased to Rs 367 crores.
The project was officially inaugurated in 2011 by former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The left canal was intended to irrigate 20,000 acres in Sirpur (T) and Kagaznagar mandals and 4,500 acres under the right canal in Asifabad mandal.
The proposed left canal was not completed due to lack of forest clearance. The left canal is proposed to irrigate lands in Wankidi, Kagaznagar and Sirpur (T) mandals. At present, the project supplies its seepage water to only 1,000 acres.
