The pump house of Mahatma Gandhi Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme at Yellur village in Nagarkurnool district was submerged in the rising back waters of Srisailam reservoir. It happened within 20 minutes on Friday evening after the water gushed into the pump house area from the surge pool.
According to officials of the Irrigation Department, the first motor of the pump house was switched on at 2.54 p.m. and the second one at 3.45 p.m. on Friday for drinking water (Mission Bhagiratha) purposes. However, within three minutes of the switching on of the second motor the flood water entered the pump house making huge noise and within 20 minutes the entire pump house was submerged.
In a fire-fighting mode the engineering staff manning the pump house at the time of the accident closed the gates of the surge pool prevent more water reaching it. They have also taken up pumping out of water of the pump house after taking the matter to the notice of the senior engineers.
Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy visited the Yellur pump house on Friday night and examined the submerged pump house from the gallery. Speaking after visiting the pump house the Minister said the condition of the pump house — motors and other installations/equipment — would be known only after the water is pumped out completely.
However, he assured that the government would make all efforts to revive the facility in a month’s time. Reservoirs linked to the lift scheme at Yellur, Singotam, Jonnalaboguda and Gudipally were full with water as of now and the government would ensure that the farmers faced no water shortage in the ayacut this season. He asked the farmers to utilise water judiciously till the pump house was revived.