Cumbum Tank is the second-largest man-made tank in Asia. It is a medium irrigation project, constructed during Sri Krishna Devaraya era about 450 years back formed by damming a gorge through which the Gundlakamma and Jampaleru rivers flow. The anicut was built by the Vijayanagar Princess Varadharajamma (also known as Ruchidevi), wife of Sri Krishna Devaraya. The lake is about 7 km long and about 3.5 km wide. Two brothers, namely Pedda Khambadu and Chinna Khambadu, self-sacrificed their lives for ensuring the strength of the bund portion of the tank as per rituals at that time. Hence, the tank got the name Cumbum Tank. Consolidation of the earthen bund was done during those times by elephants. According to the Imperial Gazette of India, at the turn of the 20^th century, the dam was 57 feet (17 m) tall, and the drainage area was 430 square miles (1,100 km²). The project mainly envisages providing irrigation facilities to an ayacut of 6,944 acres through 5 channels in 19 Villages of Cumbum and Bestavaripet Mandals of Prakasam District with a capacity of 2.952 TMC (thousand million cubic feet).

History

Cumbum tank in Prakasam District is the third-largest pond in the world, the second-largest in Asia and the first in India. There was a village called Nagampally on the banks of the river Gundlakamma.  At the time of its construction, the population of Cumbum village was 6000. Varadarajamma, the daughter of Prataparudra Gajapati, the wife of Sri Krishnadevaraya, lived here. The Cumbum tank was constructed during her time. Sri Krishna Devarayalu became the Emperor of Hampi Vijayanagaram in 1509 AD. He made invasions to subdue his enemies to eliminate so much strife in the kingdom. Part of that invasion was the invasion of King Gajapati. King Gajapati accepted defeat and not only handed over the kingdom across the river Krishna but also handed over his daughter Jaganmohini. She has other titles like Tukkhadevi Annapurna. Sri Krishna Devarayalu wanted to marry Gajapati's child scientifically in Hampi. She refused to share life with him. She was politely sent back by Sri Krishnadevaraaya. Meanwhile, the news was received from Kalinga that her father would not adopt the child. She was already near the Cumbum and she made Cumbum as the place of her abode. But the people of Cumbum call her Varada Rajamma So Rajamma came from the royal family. Varadamma became known as Varadarajamma as a mother who gave alms to the people, supported the poor and gave gifts to the people of the area. The royals built a palace for her there and arranged all the facilities she needed. He built a pond there to mark her. That pond is today's Cumbum tank. Hampi conquered the Gajapats and brought Varadarajamma to Vijayanagar in 1520 AD. In those days it was customary to sacrifice the pond embankments and keep the embankments intact. It is said that two brothers, Pedakambadu and Chinna Kambadu, sacrificed themselves for this purpose. People build a temple on the pond embankment for Varadarajamma and worship her. It is believed that tank construction took place during 1522-1524 AD, it has been in utilization from 1525 AD.

Benefits

The Cumbum Tank has been providing drinking water facility to the following villages:  

In the Cumbum Mandal: Anantha Palle, Auranga Bad, Cumbum (CT), China Cumbum, Hazarat Gudem, Kagitalagudem, Kandula Puram, Jangamguntla, Lanja Kota, Lingapuram Khandrika, Linga Puram, Porumamilla Palle, Nadim Palle, Ravipadu, Thurimella, Yerrabalem

In the Bestavaripeta Mandal: Chinna Obinenipalle, Pitikayagulla, J.Cagharam, Besthavaripeta, Nekunambad, Salakalaveedu, J.B.K puram, Basine palle, Khajipuram, Mokshagundam, Konapalli, Galijerugulla, P.V puram, Akkapalli, M.P cheruvu, Pusalapadu, Pandilapalli

Water Heritage

Cultural heritage preserved through generations.

Cumbum tank is the 2^nd largest man-made tank in Asia. It is the historical evidence of human interventions in the management of village water bodies for Agriculture and for drinking water through efficient construction of irrigation structures, systems and management. A tank is a simple earthen banked rainwater harvesting and storage structure by damming a gorge through which the Gundlakamma and Jampaleru rivers flow, designed by using their indigenous wisdom and constructed with the generous support of native rulers and chieftains over the past several centuries. Surprisingly these earthen structures have withstood the test of time and survived over many centuries. They are simple technological innovations developed by those people to accommodate their primary needs and adapted to the distinctive Indian climate – intense monsoons followed by protracted droughts. Sir Arthur Cotton, a well-known British Engineer who worked in India at the time of Colonial imperialism exclaimed on seeing the constructed tanks:

“The natives have constructed tens of thousands of tanks in almost every kind of soil with earthen bund without the puddled bank, which English Engineers fancied necessary”.

The tank is a centre of socio-economic activities of a village catering to the multifarious needs of the village community. The tank is not simply an irrigation system appended to big reservoirs. It has multiple uses and serves the diverse needs of people, animals and plants. Apart from the above, the tanks contribute to the recharge of groundwater, microclimate and the environment to keep the surrounding area green and cool. This environment attracts migratory birds from far and near.

Sustainability of livelihood through the supply of drinking water and irrigation in drought-prone areas

Asia’s 2^nd biggest man-made Cumbum Tank needs to be thought of in terms of a wide complex of natural resources, physical facilities, land use patterns and managerial institutions. The tank is not simply an irrigation system that starts from the reservoir down. It is also a collection point for run-off from the catchment area, pond for pisciculture, source of silt for fertigation and construction material, a recharge structure for local groundwater, a location for cultivation on common lands, a source of drinking water for livestock, and finally, an irrigation system for crops. The advantage of tank irrigation is its proximity to the command area so that the water requirement of the crop can be assessed and supplied from the tank, which is the core issue of water management. Cumbum tank serves 19 villages and its hamlets, enabling the de-centralized management to be effective. More to the point, indigenous systems of irrigated agriculture represent sustainable solutions to the demands of intensive crop production by successfully adapting to local environments. They have proven themselves over centuries to be environmentally sustainable and productively viable.

Indigenous Irrigation management technology passed to the next generations.

Irrigation rights in tanks were largely governed by custom and local practices. Though they were not recorded, they were meticulously observed by the riots and the community from time immemorial. The ancient donors did not stop their work after creating tanks. They also provided grants and tax remissions to those maintaining the tank to ensure their good repair. The striking feature is the care which they took to maintain all these structures for sustained irrigation. They had a very elaborate system of management including repairs, maintenance and improvements. The tanks, channels and sluices, especially those which were not wholly built of stones, bricks and mortar, required great care to maintain them in good condition. Frequent removal of silt was considered to be the most essential aspect of the maintenance of tank complexes. The breaches in-tank bunds and supply channels due to excessive rainfall and floods had to be repaired promptly. But the wanton damage done to irrigation works was certainly not known in those days. Many South Indian inscriptions contain description and references to the damages caused to irrigation works on account of heavy rains and floods, the action taken by Sabas for the upkeep of the tank complexes and also the endowment created for the maintenance and repair works by individuals. The village assemblies managed the water from the tanks systematically, ensuring equitable water distribution to all the needy villagers. They also maintained the physical structures of the tank in good condition. Tank irrigation systems are simple but fragile structures. They have to be continuously maintained, promptly repaired and constantly monitored. Even more difficult is sharing the scarce water amongst its consumers, particularly the farmers. And yet, people have devised a variety of property right mechanisms to share water and to maintain their tanks. The knowledge reflected in the physical features of indigenous irrigation systems and their management software is the product of a centuries-long learning process by which the irrigated farmers have come to terms with their environment.

The present State of Conservation

Achieving food security for underprivileged rural communities has been one of the highest priorities for the Government of Andhra Pradesh during the last several decades. Restoration of the old tanks constructed during centuries ago has been identified as one key enabler towards addressing these issues. This will increase the rainwater storage capacity for both agriculture and household use. Realizing the importance of tanks, Government of Andhra Pradesh through its Irrigation Policy has initiated several programmes to revive water conservation systems. Over the years, silt accumulation has turned Cumbum tank to have reduced their water-holding capacity. Restoring tanks through Government Programmes has been undertaken to increase their water-retention capacity by de-siltation, thus improving on-farm moisture-retention capacity.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has undertaken modernization of Historical Cumbum tank to revive, restore and rehabilitate the traditional water body under the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a project cost of Rs 912 lakhs. The Rehabilitation works include replacement of leaky old sluice gates and C/C lining to the main and branch canals, construction of regulators, Off-take sluices, and repairs to the dilapidated Cross Masonry & Cross Drainage works. These restoration works have multiple objectives like comprehensive improvement and restoration of water bodies thereby increasing tank storage capacity, groundwater recharge, increased availability of drinking water, improvement in agriculture/horticulture productivity, improvement of catchment areas of tank commands, environmental benefits through improved water use efficiency by the promotion of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater, community participation and self-supporting system for sustainable management for each water body, capacity Building of communities in better water management and development of tourism, cultural activities, etc. 

Hence, holistic efforts must be put in place to preserve and conserve historical Cumbum Tank should be preserved, conserved for purpose threat to keep such ancient, historical structure lifelong.