Liberation of Telangana will begin with the 60-year Kaddam Project – Telangana Today

The drainage of the Kaddam project, one of the key irrigation infrastructures in the state that has been particularly affected, will be considered as a pilot project.

Hyderabad: The state government is initiating measures to empty all major irrigation projects across the state in response to massive silt accumulation which has sharply reduced their storage capacity. The drainage of the Kaddam project, one of the key irrigation infrastructures in the state that has been particularly affected, will be considered as a pilot project.

Since its construction in 1949, the Kaddam project has not undergone any desilting operations, resulting in a reduction in its total storage capacity from 7.603 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) to approximately 4.82 TMC, which is approximately 40 percent of its original capacity . This reduction impaired its ability to provide irrigation water to 68,150 acres of farmland.

Officials estimate that around 135.92 million tonnes of silt has accumulated in the Kaddam project. Almost 40 percent of this silt consists of fine sand, which can be used for construction and other purposes, while the remaining 60 percent is clay, which can be used in farmland soils to improve their fertility.

The problem of siltation is not unique to the Kaddam project. All major irrigation projects in Telangana have faced loss of 25 to 30 percent of their total water storage capacity due to increased silt accumulation. The state government, which currently does not have a specific policy to address siltation issues, plans to follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Jal Shakti to address the issue.

Significant sand deposits have been identified in various projects. For example, when the dam was emptied for structural inspection earlier this year, sand deposits worth over Rs 800 crore were found at the Medigadda dam on the Godavari river. Some of this sand has already been mined.

The government plans to take up sand excavation under the Kaddam project as a pilot initiative. The information gained from this project will help formulate comprehensive policies for the devastation of other projects. Tenders for devastation of the Kaddam project are expected to be floated soon.

Drainage of these projects is critical to restore their storage capacity and increase irrigation potential. As the state moves forward in these efforts, the focus will be on ensuring systematic, transparent and results-oriented allocation of resources.

• Initially, the total capacity of Kaddam was 7.6 TMS.
• Current storage capacity is reduced to approximately 40%.
• An estimated 135.92.57 million tonnes of silt has accumulated.
• About 40% of the silt is fine sand and 60% is clay.
• All projects lost between 25% and 30% of their storage capacity due to siltation.