Huge water inflows to Kadem Project triggers panic among Nirmal citizens

Nirmal: Kaddam Narayana Reddy reservoir, one of the oldest medium irrigation projects of Telangana, received record level inflows by 5.09 lakh cusecs, panicking people living in different villages downstream on Wednesday.

According to information provided by the authorities of the irrigation department, the project saw inflows of 509,025 cusecs and the water level reached to 700 feet as against the full reservoir level of 700 feet. Surplus water was discharged downstream by lifting 17 gates. The outflow was measured to be 2.99 lakh. The capacity of the project is 7.603 tmc.

Rumors had the barrage of the project was likely to be breached anytime, advising people dwelling in Devunigudem, Rampur, Munyala, Bhutkur, Godisherala and many other habitations to move to safer places. Local policemen are said to have requested the dwellers to vacate these villages. Incidentally, a video of blowing the final alarm went viral on social media platforms.

People residing in Devunigudem, Rampur, Munyala and Godisherala villages were shifted to rehabilitation centres created in government educational institutions and Raithu Vedika building in Dasturabad mandal centre as a precautionary measure. They were fed by local public representatives. They expressed concern over the safety of their belongings at their native places.

Project built in 1958

As per the history of the project, the dam was taken up across Kaddam river, a tributary of Godavari, by the then erstwhile government of Hyderabad to irrigate 68,150 acres of agriculture fields on the northern flank of Godavari in 1949. It was commissioned in 1958. The observed flood was 5.19 lakh cusecs against designed flood discharge of 2.50 lakh cusecs.

In the meantime, Forest Minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy visited the mandal centre and took stock of the situation. He said that dwellers of surrounding villages of Kaddam project were being evacuated as a preventive measure. He added that inflows were receding, bringing respite to locals. He reasoned that the project received copious inflows due to rains in upstream areas such as Boath and Adilabad.

The minister further said that he was briefing the situation of the project to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who instructed the former to monitor it over the phone. He was accompanied by Khanapur MLA Ajmeera Rekha Naik. Collector Mushrraf Ali Faruqui, Superintendent of Police Ch Praveen Kumar and officials of revenue and irrigation departments were present.