The Kalyani Medium Irrigation Project built across a stream of the same name at Timmareddy village in Yellareddy mandal has failed to serve the purpose due to irregularities in the project and canals’ design.
It remains incomplete and unused even after 15 years of its launch.
The project was built to impound one tmcf of water at a cost of Rs.12 crore and seven radial gates to supplement the Nizam Sagar Project ayacut besides, providing water to Yellareddy mandal.
The then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid foundation of Singeetham and Koulas projects on Kalyani on the same day in 1998.
Cost escalates
The cost of the project was initially estimated to be Rs.3.5 crore, but with the passage of time and cost escalation at last, it was built spending Rs.12 crore.
It was called ‘varadamallimpu’ (diversion of stream water) scheme as the project was constructed to divert flood flow from Nizam Sagar Project catchment area.
Though the canals were dug up, due to faulty design the water released in them came back to the NSP instead of going into the fields. Besides, experts felt that the project should have been built with a capacity of two to three tmcf upstream the present place to store water. Hence, the construction of canals was left in the middle.
Manual gates
In the meantime, out of the seven radial gates, two gates were washed away in the floods a few years ago and since then they were not restored. Besides, the gates were lifted manually instead of with the help of electricity, said farmers.
Unless and until the design of project and its canals were corrected, and radial gates were renovated, the project is not of any use, feels V. Rajendra, a farmer.
The successive elected representatives failed to pursue the subject, he added.
When contacted, Superintending Engineer Shakeel-Ur-Rahman said that the project was meant to give water to supplement the NSP ayacut and ayacut under the Kalyani project was not fixed.
