The much publicised interlinking of Godavari with Krishna rivers took a severe beating when an aqueduct built on Tammileru river stream to carry 80 tmc water to Krishna delta suffered a major breach, on Sunday.
Though only one of the 12 pumps of the lift irrigation project was functioning, the breach has put state Irrigation minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao’s future in jeopardy.
According to experts, about 15 to 20 feet lining of the hurriedly built aqueduct breached within a day after irrigation minister Umamaheswara Rao formally switched on the pump, which has the capacity of pumping 354 cusecs water.
However, the rain water from catchment areas raised the quantum of water to almost 3,000 cusecs, exerting tremendous pressure on the weak lining.
The gap between canal and the aqueduct was not filled and that could be the reason for the breach.
Work over in 30 daysIt is ironical that the entire concrete work was completed within 30 days so that the chief minister could declare the interlinking on September 16. The water, which was supposed to enter Polavaram right canal and then to Krishna delta, has gushed into Kolleru Lake instead.
As the residents of Janampet village in Pedavegi mandal in close proximity to the pump house raised alarm, the authorities have shut down the pump but the damage was already done.
People in nearby Eluru city and villages are a worried that a breach of this kind when all the 12 pumps are in full force pumping 8,500 cusecs of water, could wash away a major chunk of the habitations on its path.
Opposition targets govtMeanwhile, the opposition, which has been alleging that the Naidu government took up the redundant Pattiseema project only for kickbacks, is mounting pressure on the TDP government to sack the irrigation minister.
“Devineni should take moral responsibility for the breach of the canal and resign from the post,” Andhra Pradesh Congress chief N Raghuveera Reddy said.
He said the irrigation minister exerted pressure on the engineers to complete the work, throwing quality norms to winds.
The YCP spokesperson and former minister Kotthapalli Subbarayudu alleged that the quality of the civil works was substandard. “The contractors were forced by Naidu and his officers to complete the project and dedicated it even before one pump could be started, for publicity. The interlinking is a sham,” he alleged.
“What would be the condition of the canal after all the 12 pumps are working when the aqueduct could not withstand the force of water with one pump,” he asked.
CM to take final callIt is believed that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who is on a tour to Singapore to finalise construction work of new capital Amaravati and also to invite that island-nation’s prime minister for the ceremony slated for October 22, will have to take a final call on Rao’s future.