Third Check Dam Collapses in Manair, High Alert Sounded

 Karimnagar: Concerns over the structural integrity of irrigation projects along the Manair River have intensified following the collapse of a third check dam in less than a month in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

A 120-metre stretch of a check dam located between Adavisomanpalli village in Manthani mandal and PV Nagar in Malhar Rao mandal was found damaged on Wednesday. This comes after two earlier collapses, on November 21 at Gumpula village in Peddapalli district and at Thanugula village in Jammikunta mandal of Karimnagar district, triggering allegations of substandard construction and possible sabotage by the sand mafia.

The latest breach at the Adavisomanpalli check dam, constructed in 2021 at a cost of ₹40 crore, has shocked farmers and officials alike. Locals said the structure had withstood the massive floods of 2023, when water flow touched nearly 12 lakh cusecs. However, it collapsed this week despite the river carrying a relatively low flow of about 1,000 cusecs. Farmers who visited the site suspect that unknown persons may have deliberately damaged the structure to facilitate illegal sand transportation from upstream areas.

Irrigation department officials led by assistant executive engineer Nikhil inspected the site and said the nature of the damage appeared suspicious. The AEE noted that the collapse did not seem to be caused by water pressure, particularly in the absence of recent flooding.

Residents also claimed that cracks and holes were noticed at the site a few days earlier, raising suspicion that tools or explosives may have been used. In a similar incident at Vallekunta village, a 10-metre portion of another check dam collapsed, nearly drowning two fishermen, who managed to swim to safety.

The series of collapses has sparked a political controversy. TPCC member Kache Shashibhushan urged IT minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu and requested irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials to order a high-level inquiry into the quality of construction and possible criminal interference.

To prevent further unrest and secure sensitive stretches along the river, heavy police deployment, including four DSPs and CRPF units, has been made. While Manthani police initially declined to register a case citing jurisdictional issues, irrigation officials later lodged a formal complaint with the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district police.