Tabelugummi Check Dam was constructed in the year 1994-95 by ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency). It serves three Gram Panchayats of G Madugula Mandal, Paderu Division, Visakhapatnam District covering a total of 14 villages. For several years no maintenance work was done forthis dam until Aranyika helped mobilize volunteers to repair and desilt the canals. Thanks to their efforts between 2000 and 2003 water from the check dam started benefiting most of the villages. Almost after 10 years of the construction of the dam, a Water User Association (WUA) was formed to manage the usage of water from the dam in 2005.

Due to heavy floods in the months of May and June 2006 the check dam received major damages. The members of WUA approached Aranyika to help them address the crisis from the floods.  Aranyika conducted a meeting with all the members of the 14 villages residing in the area after surveying the damages on the field.  A memorandum was prepared with peoples participation listing down the damage occurred and submitted it to the Project Officer Mr. Sharat, from ITDA.

In July 2006, the Project Officer along with the engineers and other staff members visited the site to assess the exact damage. Aranyika staff also participated in this visit.  The Project Officer promised to help and immediately directed his staff to prepare an estimate of the damage.

The staff members of Aranyika and Water User Association members made several visits to the government offices for getting the final approval for the support.  In the mean time the community voluntarily engaged in doing some repair works in preparation for taking up the major repairs.  Finally, the Project officer approved an Rs.18 lakhs in the month of November 2006.

This sanction drew the contractors in the area and they moved around the WUA members to get the contract for the repairs using corrupt means. At the right time, Aranyika recognized the need and conducted a training program to the WUA members and the villagers regarding WUA act. The roles, responsibilities and rights of WUA members were explained in that training. Aranyika also gave a message that the construction work should be taken up by WUA members with the help of departmental personnel only and not engaging any contractors in the work.
 
The training included a visit by the Project officer and Sub collector to interact with the farmers. The project officer said that he would like this project to be a model for efforts involving people�s participation and gave instructions to government officials that all repair works should be implemented with input from people.

Finally the work started by the community members and the WUA members in the month of February 2007.  Despite major struggle between the engineering departmental personnel and the community, the work has been initiated with community participation and is in progress.