Water crisis follows demolition of Munneru check dam built under BRS regime in Khammam

Residents of Khammam’s III Town area are facing acute groundwater depletion and drinking water shortage following the demolition of the Munneru check dam at Prakash Nagar. The dam, built in 2021 during the BRS regime, had boosted groundwater levels, but was razed by the Congress government citing flood risks during the 2023 monsoon.

Khammam: The residents of III town area in Khammam city are complaining of groundwater depletion and water shortage due to demolition of Munneru check dam at Prakash Nagar.

It might be recalled that the check dam was built across the Munneru River at a cost of Rs 7.45 crore during the BRS regime. It was designed to store about six million cubic feet of water and boost groundwater levels within a five km radius.

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Former minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar inaugurated the check dam in June 2021. Built at a height of seven feet above ground level the structure was meant to help the locals overcome water shortage in the summer season due to groundwater depletion.

However, the Congress government demolished the check dam one year ago on the pretext that it was one of the causes that led to heavy flooding of areas on the banks of the river in 2023 monsoon, in which Khammam witnessed unprecedented rainfall.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Stambhadri Urban Development Authority (SUDA) former chairman Bachu Vijay Kumar stated that scores of residential colonies in the three-town area have been facing severe drinking water shortage at present.

After the check dam was constructed, groundwater levels in the colonies on either side of the river in Khammam as well as the Munneru catchment area increased phenomenally.

Irregular water supply by Khammam Municipal Corporation as well as groundwater depletion due to lack of rains coupled with ill-conceived, shortsighted action of demolishing the check dam is troubling the residents, Vijay Kumar complained.

Initially it was planned to reduce the check dam height by two to three feet. But driven by political vendetta against Ajay Kumar and completely disregarding public interests demolished the Munneru check dam without any alternative plan, he noted.

A resident of Prakash Nagar, Damalla Prabhakar, who built a house in the area a couple of years ago, said that after the check dam was built the bore well in their house was always full and active. But now they are often facing trouble in operating the borewell, he added.