Komaram Bheem Asifabad District · Tributary of the Pranahita · Length 100 km
Peddavagu River – lifeline of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district
The Peddavagu River originates from the Sirpur (U)-Kerameri hills in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district and flows for about 100 km before merging into the Pranahita River at Murliguda in Bejjur mandal. The river basin supports several irrigation projects and is home to diverse flora and fauna, including a significant vulture colony on the Pala Rapu cliff near Nandigam village.
Irrigation Projects on Peddavagu
The Peddavagu basin hosts two major irrigation projects that are critical for agriculture in the region. However, both projects have faced significant challenges, including delays, funding issues, and structural problems.
Sri Komaram Bheem Project
Location: Ada village, Asifabad mandal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
Type: Medium Reservoir.
Storage Capacity: 10.393 TMC.
Estimated Cost: ₹748 crore.
Target Ayacut: 45,500 acres across Asifabad, Wankidi, Kaghaznagar, and Sirpur (T) mandals.
Current Status: The project has suffered from structural neglect and delayed infrastructure updates. Heavy monsoon inflows previously caused cracks on the right side of the spillway bund; due to fund shortages, temporary measures like tarpaulin sheets were used by irrigation staff to check erosion. Following safety inspections by the Central Water Commission (CWC), storage levels are safely maintained at 5–6 TMC to protect downstream villages. While the functional canal network actively provides irrigation to roughly 20,000 acres, the completion of the remaining distributary networks—particularly the left canal lines—remains delayed due to pending environmental and forest clearances.
Peddavagu (Jagannadhapur) Project
Location: Near Jagannathpur village, Kagaznagar mandal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
Type: Medium Irrigation Project (under construction).
Target Ayacut: 15,000 acres.
Current Status: The project is under construction. In April 2026, a tragic incident occurred when an 18-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the project waters.[reference:10] The project is part of the broader irrigation development in the Peddavagu basin.
Sirpur Paper Mills and Environmental Impact
The Sirpur Paper Mills (SPM) at Kagaznagar, established in 1942, has had a profound impact on the Peddavagu River and the surrounding environment. The mill was long accused of releasing toxic effluents into the stream, posing a serious threat to cattle, wildlife, and human health.
Effluents released by SPM into the Peddavagu had played havoc in the area. Villagers from Chedvai, Bombaiguda, Penchikalpet, Agarguda, Gundepalli, Kammargaon, and Nandigam frequently reported that their cattle refused to drink water from the stream. The dark-black effluent was found to contain chemicals exceeding safety limits.[reference:11]
The pollution had a devastating effect on the vulture colony resident on the Pala Rapu cliff on the banks of Peddavagu near Nandigam village. Scores of scavenger birds died in the past owing to consumption of polluted water.[reference:12]
Paper production at SPM was suspended in October 2014 (and again temporarily in 2020 due to COVID-19) owing to accumulated losses.[reference:13] The mill has since been operating at partial capacity under JK Paper's oversight.[reference:14] The closure brought great upheaval in the lives of about 5,000 workers and employees, but also helped reduce water and air pollution in the area considerably.
Cleaner Water and Ecological Recovery
Much cleaner water now runs in the Peddavagu, bringing relief to man and animal in the seven villages of Dahegaon and Bejjur mandals which lie on its banks or close to it.[reference:15]
- Cleaner Water: The flow of clean water in Peddavagu signifies a happy augury for the vulture colony resident on the Pala Rapu cliff.[reference:16]
- Vulture Conservation: The Forest Department has launched a vulture conservation programme and will conduct a comparative study of pollution in Peddavagu, as it has samples of water from before the SPM was closed.[reference:17]
- Ongoing Concerns: Despite improvements, a 2022 study revealed higher than allowable presence of iron and nickel in Peddavagu samples collected near Gandlapet village.[reference:18]
- Community Relief: Kammargaon sarpanch Madapa Srinivas recalled, "Many a time our cattle refused to drink water flowing in the stream. It was obvious that effluents had been released in it."[reference:19]
Current Challenges
Despite the environmental improvements following the partial closure of SPM, the Peddavagu basin continues to face several challenges:
Infrastructure Issues
- Bridge Incomplete: More than two years after a bridge across Peddavagu was opened, incomplete approach roads continue to inconvenience motorists from four mandals.[reference:20]
- Project Neglect: The Komaram Bheem project remains in a state of neglect, with polythene covers still being used to protect the bund.[reference:21]
- Fund Crunch: Repair work on the project bund has been delayed for over a year due to a delay in the release of funds.[reference:22]
Farmer Distress
- Farmers from both Asifabad and Sirpur (T) segments have been relying on bore wells and streams to irrigate crops as the project failed to live up to their expectations.[reference:23]
- Farmers say they could easily raise two crops per annum if water from the project is supplied to agricultural needs.[reference:24]
- The district saw an average rainfall of 627 mm (as against the normal 628 mm) from June to August 2025, making irrigation all the more critical.[reference:25]
Location
The Peddavagu River flows through the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, originating in the Sirpur (U)-Kerameri hills and discharging into the Pranahita River. Below is an approximate map showing the river's course.
Komaram Bheem Asifabad district – location of the Peddavagu River basin.
Legacy – A River of Contrasts
The Peddavagu River embodies the complex relationship between development and environment in Telangana. While the closure of the Sirpur Paper Mills has brought cleaner water and hope for ecological recovery, the delays in completing irrigation projects continue to leave farmers dependent on the mercy of nature. The river remains a lifeline for the district—a source of irrigation, a habitat for wildlife, and a symbol of both progress and neglect.
- River: Peddavagu ("large stream"), length 100 km.
- Origin: Sirpur (U)-Kerameri hills, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
- Terminus: Murliguda in Bejjur, discharging into Pranahita River.
- Major Projects: Sri Komaram Bheem Project (45,500 acres target, 10.39 TMC) and Peddavagu (Jagannadhapur) Project (15,000 acres).
- Project Status: Both projects face delays; Komaram Bheem project relies on polythene covers for bund protection.
- Environmental Impact: Sirpur Paper Mills (est. 1942) caused severe pollution; partial closure has led to cleaner water and vulture conservation efforts.
- Challenges: Incomplete infrastructure, fund shortages, and farmer distress due to unreliable irrigation.
- The Hindu – Peddavagu flows cleaner thanks to closure of SPM (2015)
- Telangana Today – Fate of Kumram Bheem project (August 2025)
- Telangana Today – Kumram Bheem project in state of neglect (July 2024)
- Telangana Today – Drowning incident at Jagannathpur project (April 2026)
- Business Standard – Sirpur Paper Mills updates.
- Government of Telangana – Irrigation and Water Resources Department.
The Peddavagu River and its projects reflect the challenges and opportunities of water management in Telangana's forested districts.