VIJAYAWADA: Farmers under KC canal ayacut were happy for the last one week with steady inflows into Tungabhadra River at Sunkesula barrage in Kurnool district, but now they are worried, for inflows started decreasing. They are worried as they would no longer get the water released to KC canal as the water needs to be maintained at 1.20 TMC. The Full Reservoir Level of Sunkesula barrage has to be maintained to serve the drinking water needs of Kurnool Municipal Corporation. From September 14 to 22, a total 27 TMC of water flowed through Sunkesula. “What was the use. There is not enough storage space to retain those water for the future use. Invariably, it has to be released downstream into Srisailam project,” a higher official of the Irrigation department pointed out.
In fact, there is a perfect solution for the problem — building Gundrevula Balancing Reservoir with a capacity of 15-20 TMCFT. It will not only serve the needs of KC canal farmers but also the drinking water needs of Kurnool and hundreds of villages in western mandals of Kurnool district.Though feasibility study for Gundrevula project upstream of Sunkesula project in Kurnool district was carried out in 2013 and submitted, there has been no progress whatsoever till date. In November 2013, the then government had given administrative approval for `54.95 lakh for preparing Detailed Project Report. Subsequently, ARVEE Association prepared the DPR.
Once completed, the project will give a full assurance to ayacut of KC Canal which is 2,65,628 acres in Kurnool and Kadapa district for both Kharif and Rabi, apart from meeting the drinking water needs of Kurnool and villages along KC canal. A total 4,464 hectares of land in Kurnool, 2,371 hectares in Mahbubnagar of Telangana and 2,525 of river portion would be submerged. As per the project report - Sangala, Kotha Sangala, Timmanadoddi, Chintamanapalli, Rayachoti, Gurazala, Nagaladinne villages in Kurnool district, Pedda Dhanvada, Veni Somapuram, Kesavaram villages in Mahabubnagar district would get submerged.
People in Telangana villages are more willing to have the project as they would get around 5 TMC. Once it project is done, the area, which is irrigated by water from Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, will be stabilised. The demand for the construction of the project is increasing day by day and whenever CM N Chandrababu Naidu visits, a request for the same will be made. Except for assurances, there has been no progress.