People from far and near keep flocking to the picturesque Cumbum tank in Markapur division to enjoy the scenic beauty of the water body which has received copious inflows thanks to the recent rains.
The Nallamallavagu, a stream originating from the Nallamalla hills in the Eastern Ghats, descends on the Gundla Brahmeswaram, the home for rich flora and fauna including the big cats, spread across Prakasam and Kurnool districts in a 1,194 sq.km. area and falls into the Asia’s second largest irrigation tank. It has a great past having been developed by none other than Sri Krishnadevaraya’s wife Varadarajamma in the 15 th Century by damming a gorge of the Gundalakamma river to store 3.3 tmcft of water.
Elephants were used then for treading for stabilisation of the tank bed, recalls a farmer Venkateswara Reddy, who hopes for a good cropping year this year at least.
The tank got filled up fully only eight times in the last 100 years, in 1917, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1966, 1975, 1983 and 1996, says Cumbum Deputy Engineer Nagarjuna Rao. It did not receive significant inflows in the last three years.
“We fondly remember the royal couple even to this day. Every year, celebrations are organised during Dasara by the people who offer special prayers at the statue of Varadarajamma on the tank bund,” adds another villager Srinivasa Reddy. More tourists can be attracted if only the State government clears a Rs.10-crore proposal to develop boating facility as also lawns, feels a group of youth who makes it a point to visit the tank for relaxation, especially during weekends.
The scenic spot can be reached through the thick Nallamalla forest along a winding ghat section, through the Bogada and Chelama tunnels on the Guntakal-Nandyal-Guntur section of the South Central Railway.
Along the way, you can see an abandoned rail bridge that served the people of this region during the British era.
The best time to visit the tank is between October and March when it will have good storage of water.
The best time to visit the tank is between October and March
