Kanigiri Reservior, Buchireddypalem

The Kanigiri Reservoir, located in SPSR Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh, is a significant water storage facility. Situated about 22 km north-west of Bucchireddipalem and near the Nellore Railway Station, the reservoir was constructed between 1890 and 1898 by R. Smith, a British Executive Engineer. The construction of the reservoir followed the completion of the Sangam Barrage. Water from the Sangam Barrage flows into the Kanigiri Reservoir through the Kanigiri Main Canal. Before the establishment of the Somasila Project, floodwaters were diverted to the Kanigiri Reservoir via this canal and stored for irrigation. The stored water has historically supplemented the Pennar Delta, a standard practice in the Pennar River Basin’s irrigation system.

Following the completion of the Somasila Reservoir, adequate water storage is now managed there, with necessary releases made to the Sangam Anicut. Consequently, when water is released to the Pennar Delta, it flows into the Kanigiri Reservoir via the Kanigiri Main Canal, making the Sangam Barrage the primary diversion point for the Pennar Delta System.

The Kanigiri Reservoir spans across three mandals—Buchireddypalem, Sangam, and Dagadarthi—located in SPSR Nellore District, with coordinates of 14° 32′ 52.51″ N, 79° 51′ 36.15″ E. It serves as the central storage facility for the Pennar Delta system, providing water for an extensive registered ayacut of 138,600 acres. The reservoir supports five main distribution channels of the Pennar Delta: the Southern Channel, Eastern Channel, New Vavveru Channel, Yalamanchipadu Channel, and Pyderu Escape Channel.

The Kanigiri Reservoir plays a vital role in agriculture, drinking water supply, groundwater recharge, and improving the economic well-being of farmers in the region. Built in 1890, it has significantly contributed to irrigating 56,089 hectares of land, supporting food production, rural prosperity, and poverty alleviation in the Pennar Delta.