Farmers under Peddavagu project ayacut in Kothagudem set to lose another crop season

Works proposed to restore the project are moving at snail’s pace. Farmers under the ayacut of the project have already lost kharif and rabi seasons and they are set to lose yet another kharif season as the project is unlikely to be repaired by the time monsoon sets in

Kothagudem: Even as ten months passed since the Peddavagu project at Gummadavalli in Aswaraopet mandal in the district suffered a massive breach as there are no signs of its restoration in near future.

Works proposed to restore the project are moving at snail’s pace. Farmers under the ayacut of the project have already lost kharif and rabi seasons and they are set to lose yet another kharif season as the project is unlikely to be repaired by the time monsoon sets in.

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It might be recalled that a 250 metres long breach occurred on the project on July 18, 2024 as the crest gates of the project malfunctioned when the project received huge inflows following heavy rains in its catchment. Floodwaters gushed out over the reservoir bund resulting in the breach.

A ring bund built on the left side of the project spillway where the breach occurred was washed away due to floods in the first week of September due to alleged poor quality of works in building the ring bund.

The project with the storage capacity of 40, 000 cusecs is located on Telangana and AP borders and which was completed in 1981 provides irrigation to nearly 16,000 acres, of which 2360 acres fall in Telangana.

Irrigation officials proposed redesigning of the project to withstand one lakh cusecs inflow, submitted cost estimates worth Rs 92.50 crore for repairs. Telangana has to bear 20 percent of the costs remaining by Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana government in its recent budget allotted Rs 40 crore for the works.

Speaking to Telangana Today a farmer Jakkula Rambabu of Narayanapuram under the project ayacut complained even as there are three ministers, Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao in the district the project remained as it is since it breached.

Ten months after the project breach AP irrigation official Nagarjuna Rao and team visited the project in the first week of April to take stock of the situation. Nonetheless nothing concrete happened afterwards. The reservoir bed now looks like a desert, he said.

It is very sad that farmers have none to share their plight as ministers are not caring and officials remain inactive. Some of the locals with the support from ruling party leaders have encroached upon nearly 50 to 60 acres of lands under the project’s FTL and cultivating lands.

Another farmer Naradasu Rama Rao said in another month monsoon begins but farmers would be left without water to cultivate lands. Many of the farmers who suffered losses due to the breach in the project are yet to receive compensation. Telangana and AP governments must speed up the project restoration works, he added.