The Tarakarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, once envisioned as a lifeline for thousands of acres of agricultural land, has fallen into dire disrepair due to prolonged neglect by the government. The project, which was started in 1988 to irrigate more than 13,500 acres across Ibrahimpatnam, G. Konduru and Vijayawada rural mandals, is now struggling to provide any water, leaving farmers in deep financial distress, Jamalayya, state secretary, Andhra Pradesh Tenant Tenant Association, said on Wednesday, January 28.
In a statement, Mr Jamalayya said the scheme, initially hailed as a model initiative, had deteriorated over the decades due to insufficient funding and poor maintenance. Of the 23 motor pumps installed across the right and left channels, most remain inoperative. Notably, three pumps on the left channel were damaged on the inauguration day and are yet to be repaired. Thorny bushes, weeds and trees blocked the flow of water and the 2024 floods further damaged the left channel.
Illegal use of water by industrial units and brick kilns, along with sewage contamination, has aggravated farmers’ woes, causing crop losses and even livestock deaths. Absence of proper canal connections and escape channels continues to affect villages like Thadapalli, Sha Bada and Kavuluru, resulting in annual crop losses of 400-500 acres.
The association urged the government to allocate ₹5 crore to revive the project, install new pumps, desilt and line the canals to restore irrigation for two crop cycles by the 2026-27 kharif season. “Without urgent intervention, farmers will continue to face catastrophic losses year after year,” he added.
Published – 28 Jan 2026 19:59 IST
