Kurnool Cuddappah Canal

Kurnool Cuddappah Canal :

Kurnool Cuddappah Canal popularly known as K.C.Canal is an irrigation canal located in Kurnool and Cuddapah districts in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The K.C.Canal was constructed during the years 1863 to 1870 as an irrigation and navigation canal. This canal interconnects the rivers Penner and Tungabhadra. It starts from the Sunkesula barrage located on Tungabhadra River near Kurnool city.

Navigation system was abandoned during the year 1933 and the canal continued to be a major irrigation source. To improve the efficiency of the system, modernization of the entire canal and repairs/reconstruction of the structures is taken up under K.C. canal modernization. The project is under construction to stabilize entire ayacut of KC Canal and to develop the gap ayacut of 60,000 acres. The canal presently irrigates nearly 1,70,000 acres with 40 Tmcft water utilisation from the Krishna river.

The K.C. Canal Project, a part of Tungabhadra Sub Basin in Krishna basin is a 130 years old Irrigation System in A.P. A private Dutch company called Madras Irrigation & canal, Co limited had constructed this canal system during 1863 – 70 for providing navigation faculty as well supply of water for Irrigation. The K.C. Canal takes off from right flank of Sunkesula anicut traverses via Kurnool and Cuddapah towns and terminates near Krishnapuram in uddapah District. This project was taken over by British India Government at a cost of Rs.3.02 Crores in 1882. The Government of British India based on the suggestions made by Sir Author Cotton increased the rrigation component and reduced navigation component and gradually the navigation was abandoned by about 1933.[5]

Owing to a threatened famine, work was commenced in the Kurnool section in i860. As a result of hasty procedure, engineering difficulties and mistakes, and extravagance and carelessness in the management, the guaranteed million was expended by 1866, by which time only half of the section had been completed. Fresh contracts were made in that year by which operations were restricted to the canal between Sunkesula and Cuddapah and new financial arrangements were made. By 1871 the canal was finished throughout its length, though its capacity and efficiency were by no means satisfactory.

Alternate water supply from Srisailam reservoir is provided via Veligodu reservoir constructed under Telugu Ganga project. Also water can be pumped and fed to KC canal from the recently commissioned Handri-Neeva lift canal pump house from the Srisailam reservoir when its water level is below the minimum drawdown level of Pothireddypadu head regulator which also feeds Telugu Ganga, Srisailam right bank canal and Galeru Nagari projects. Thus this 150 years old canal is provided with reliable water supply to meet the drinking water needs of Rayalaseema region even during the acute drought years.

Kurnool-Cuddapah canal off-takes from Sunkesula anicut onTungabhadra River, traverses through Kurnool and Cuddapah districtsand finally terminates at Cuddapah. This canal is connected to thenatural streams Nippulavagu, Galeru and Kunderu through controllingstructures on these streams viz. Lock-In-Sula, Santajutur anicut andRajoli anicut respectively. As a result, the nearby areas of these streamsare benefited by this project. The total ayacut registered originallyunder this canal is 122200 ha which is reduced to 110482 ha due toforeshore submergene of Srisailam and urban agglomeration. Out of 110482 ha, Kurnool and Cuddapah districts are having ayacut of 75879ha and 34603 ha respectively. The water allocated for this project is1130 Mm3 (39.9 TMC) as per KWDT award. The award also provides forregulated release of 283 Mm3 (10 TMC) from Tungabhadra reservoirsubject to availability of 6513 Mm3 (230 TMC) in Tungabhadra reservoir.