# Andhra Collectors act on tank siltation, encroachments and El Nino water stress 2026-08-14T02:42:18+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Chittoor District Collector Sumit Kumar inspected four irrigation tanks in Gudipala mandal in May 2025 after farmers reported shrinking storage from silt and encroachments. He ordered surveys, desilting estimates and asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to remove soil dumped during expressway construction that affected Bangarappa Cheruvu's water-spread area. The 2023 District Survey Report shows Chittoor's 4,121 minor irrigation tanks have a combined designed storage of 15,133.73 million cubic feet (mcft), but current capacity is only 8,924.23 mcft. In East Godavari, Collector Kirti Chekuri chaired an Irrigation Advisory Committee meeting on 31 July 2026 that reviewed water availability for Kharif 2026 under 'Super El Nino' conditions. The district recorded a 60% rainfall deficit affecting about 9,000 hectares in 10 upland mandals. The Collector instructed officials to fill all 22 tanks under lift irrigation schemes within 10 days, with special attention to the water-starved Rangampeta tank, and directed a fortnight-long drive to enrol farmers in the crop insurance scheme. The Hindu reports that an NGO, the International Human Rights Protection Commission, has approached the Chittoor district court seeking buffer-zone protection for Gangineni Cheruvu, which it says has shrunk from over 80 acres to less than half that due to encroachments. The Hans India reports that Mandapeta MLA Vegulla Jogeswara Rao urged officials to stand by farmers during the difficult season and take timely steps to reduce hardships. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thehansindia.com Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Chittoor, desilting, encroachment, irrigation tanks, water storage Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/andhra-tanks-lose-half-storage-to-silt-and-encroachments/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/andhra-tanks-lose-half-storage-to-silt-and-encroachments/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.