6 days ago
Flood prevention works done in record time: Minister
Vijayawada: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu announced that key pre-emptive measures to prevent flooding from the Budameru canal, which devastated Vijayawada last year, have been completed in record time.
After inspecting the ongoing works on Monday, Minister Ramanaidu stated that the construction of a 365-metre-long CC (Concrete) wall, connecting three breaches on the Budameru embankment is now finished.
'Financial approval for the CC wall construction was received in April, tenders were called in May, and we were able to complete the work in record time before the monsoon season began,' the Minister said.
In addition to the CC wall, the left bank of the Budameru, spanning seven kilometres, is being strengthened by raising its height by half a metre.
Addressing a critical issue from last year's floods, the Minister highlighted that the gates of the Velagaleru Regulator failed to open due to a lack of maintenance over the past five years.
Farmers had to use JCBs to manually open them. Now, all 12 gates of the Velagaleru Regulator have been replaced with new ones at a cost of Rs 1.8 crore.
The minister further detailed plans to significantly upgrade the Budameru's capacity. The existing Budameru Old Channel and Enikepadu UT, which currently have a capacity of 4,000 cusecs, will be expanded to 20,000 cusecs. Furthermore, desilting work is underway along the 57-kilometre Budameru drain from Enikepadu to Kolleru Lake to ensure smooth water flow.
To facilitate the discharge of water from Kolleru into the sea via Upputeru, tenders worth Rs 9 crore have been invited for desilting works in that area.
While 'Operation Budameru' for permanent flood prevention may take another three to four years to complete, requiring financial approvals and coordination with the Central Government and Disaster Management, Minister Ramanaidu assured that immediate measures for Vijayawada's safety have been prioritised and completed under the guidance of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
The inspection was attended by Irrigation Advisor M Venkateswara Rao, E'N'C Narasimhamurthy, Krishna Delta CE Rambabu, and other senior officials.
