Cracks in Ageing Kanigiri Reservoir Demands Urgent Action

 Nellore: Kanigiri Reservoir, the 125-year-old lifeline of the Pennar delta irrigation system, is now showing serious signs of decay.

Built during the British era between 1890 and 1898, this critical water body, long hailed as the heart of the Pennar delta, is grappling with ageing infrastructure – damaged gates, eroded bunds and silt-filled storage, threatening both agricultural livelihoods and drinking water supply across three mandals of Buchireddypalem, Sangam and Dagadarthi.

With only three out of 14 shutter gates functioning, and bund slopes weakened by years of neglect and cyclonic damage, the risk of a breach and downstream flooding looms large, particularly for thickly populated towns like Buchireddypalem.

Experts and officials are sounding the alarm that unless immediate repairs and upgrades are carried out, consequences could be catastrophic.

Originally constructed under British engineer R. Smith, the Kanigiri Reservoir was designed to collect water from the Sangam Anicut (now replaced by the modern Sangam Barrage). It then distributed water through five major canals to irrigate over 1.5 lakh acres. What was once a model of engineering resilience is now struggling under the weight of time.

Penna Delta System chairman Jetty Rajagopal Reddy has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Kanigiri Reservoir. He says the reservoir's bunds have severely eroded. There are gully formations caused by past cyclones like Vardah in 2015. The age-old head regulators are no longer operable during water releases, posing a significant risk when the flow peaks.

In addition, the manual sluice systems and outdated gates are ill-equipped to meet current demands, making water management both difficult and unsafe. The situation is further worsened by extensive silt accumulation, which has drastically reduced the reservoir’s effective storage capacity, threatening its ability to control floods or serve agriculture and drinking water needs.

Farmer organisations across the delta have made repeated appeals to the Executive Engineer, citing severe challenges in water distribution and flood control. Their message is clear: repair or risk ruin.

Responding to their call, Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy has officially requested Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Water Resources minister Dr. Nimmala Rama Naidu to sanction ₹45.06 crore for comprehensive repairs.

Water Resources department does have a revival plan, which includes reconstruction of damaged regulators on southern, eastern, and Pyderu channels.

They are also in favour of installing electrically operated radial gates with modern hoisting systems, strengthening and widening reservoir bunds, desilting to restore full storage capacity and rebuilding old sluices and bridges for safety and functionality.

However, these measures remain delayed, increasing the risk by the day. Once a pillar of prosperity, Kanigiri Reservoir could become a source of disaster, farmers of the area feel. “Its collapse will not only imperil over a lakh acres of farmland but also undermine the economic stability of countless families,” warns Bezawada Naresh Chandra Reddy, a farmer depending on the reservoir.