Mission Kakatiya — Telangana Tank Restoration Programme

Mission Kakatiya

Mission Kakatiya (మిషన్ కాకతీయ) is Telangana's programme to restore and rejuvenate the historic irrigation tank network built by the Kakatiya dynasty (1083–1323 CE) and later rulers.

The Kakatiya Tank System

The Kakatiya rulers built a sophisticated network of tanks (cheruvu and kunta) across what is now Telangana, enabling agriculture in a region with uneven rainfall. This 1,000-year-old water management infrastructure sustained entire agrarian economies.

At independence, an estimated 46,000+ tanks existed in the region. Decades of neglect caused widespread deterioration — breached bunds, silt accumulation, and encroachment reduced the tank network's effectiveness.

The Programme

Launched in 2015, Mission Kakatiya aimed to restore tanks across all 33 districts in phases — desilt tanks, repair bunds (earthen embankments), restore inlet and outlet channels, and rehabilitate catchment areas.

Impact

Restored tanks improve:

• Groundwater recharge
• Irrigation water availability for surrounding farmland
• Migratory bird habitats
• Flood absorption capacity

Recognition

Mission Kakatiya received the Asia-Pacific Water Award and was cited by international water management bodies as a model for tank restoration.

Official source: Irrigation & CAD Department, Telangana — irrigation.telangana.gov.in