Official apathy hits Gundlamotu project works

Giddalur: It was a small project in Giddalur mandal of western area in Prakasam district. If completed, it would be able to supply water for 2,500 acres for agriculture needs, drinking water for 14 villages, boosts up the ground water level and fills up thousands of bore wells in the area.

It is Gundlamotu Project, under construction and reconstruction for the past 40 years in the Nallamala forest at 6 kilometers from Diguvametta village in Giddalur mandal.

The western area of Prakasam district is dry and has no water source except to depend on rains. When there is no rain, thousands of bore wells dug in the region go dry and the farmers have to spend about Rs 1 lakh every year to dig one more well and boost the previous wells.

However, being near the Nallamala forest has an advantage. The streams from the hills feed various rivulets like Enumuleru in the area and also fill small tanks in the nearby area.

After several requests from the locals, the government conducted a survey in the year 1960 and made a proposal to construct the Gundlamotu reservoir with 605 meters length and 16 meters high with 0.32 TMC feet capacity at 6kilometers into the forest from Diguvametta.

In 1977, the construction of the project was taken up at 20 km from Giddalur and it was almost completed by 1979. But the cyclone that hit the area in 1979, breached the project by nearly 50 feet and the machinery was also washed away with the water.

Again in 1986, the government started reconstruction of the breached part with Rs 30 lakh budget. But the 1987 cyclone breached the project again for 40 feet. In 1993, the government sanctioned Rs 60 lakh and repaired it. The 1996 cyclone damaged the project for 50 feet and the sidewalls also washed away.

Around 2007, the Congress government headed by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy sanctioned Rs 7 crore to strengthen and complete the project, as part of the Jalayagnam.

The government also proposed to construct a pickup anicut, at 2kilometers down the project and two canals, left and right to it are proposed to supply water to the tanks in villages like Telakapalli, Venkatapuram, Uyyalawada, Krishtamsetty Palle, etc, and supply water for irrigation.

The government also sanctioned Rs 5 crore in 2009 to immediately complete the project, when the contractors said the budget is not enough. But since then, the officials are prolonging the dead line for completion of the project by 3 months and 6 months every time in the name of permissions.
Speaking to The Hans India here on Tuesday, R Venkateswarlu, DEE of Giddalur said, “We are constructing the pickup anicut on war footing and the project will be completed within 3 months. By the next season, the Giddalur and nearby villages will not have water scarcity.”

By Naresh Nandam & PY Khan