CWPRS Conducts Tests on Komaram Bheem Project Bund Damage
Another test is required to determine the exact cause, for which the irrigation department has to pay Rs 40 lakh.
Adilabad:Engineers of the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, has conducted tests to ascertain the reasons for damage to a portion of the bund of the Komaram Bheem irrigation project.
Another test is required to determine the exact cause, for which the irrigation department has to pay Rs 40 lakh.
The project is currently not being filled to its full storage capacity as irrigation officials are limiting storage to avoid further damage to the bund. A portion of the bund has developed cracks and has been covered with tarpaulin for the last four years.
In June 2025, officials of the Central Water Commission and the dam safety authority inspected the project and advised irrigation officials not to store more than 6tmc ft of water, against its capacity of 10.5tmc, to avoid a threat to the bund during the monsoon.
The project has been receiving rainwater from the surrounding hills during the monsoon. The issue of storing water has assumed importance due to the prolonged dry spell attributed to the effects of El Nino and the forecast of scanty rainfall in the coming months, particularly in view of future drinking water requirements in agency areas.
The project is not currently providing water for irrigation, with officials discharging water downstream instead of storing it.
The Komaram Bheem Asifabad reservoir is the main source for Mission Bhagiratha water supply from Asifabad mandal up to Indravelli mandal in Adilabad district.
Asifabad collector K. Haritha had sanctioned Rs 45 lakh for repairs to a portion of the right canal at Maniguda village in Asifabad mandal. However, the repaired portion was washed away in recent floods.
There were allegations that poor-quality repair works resulted in the canal being damaged again and that floodwater subsequently affected the gram panchayat building.
The project cost Rs 367 crore. The left canal was intended to irrigate 35,000 acres in Sirpur (T), Wankidi and Kagaznagar mandals, while the right canal was intended to irrigate 4,500 acres in Asifabad mandal. The proposed left canal has not been completed due to the requirement for forest clearance, delaying the laying of the canals.
Different figures have been cited for the project’s storage capacity — 10.5tmc, 10.6tmc and 10.399tmc — while officials maintain storage at not more than 5tmc. The present water level is given as 235.85 metres and the present storage as 4.878tmc.
An irrigation official said the available water in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad reservoir was sufficient for only 174 days of drinking water supply.
