With flood problem of capital Amaravati landing in the National Green Tribunal (NBT), Andhra Pradesh government is planning to address the issue with the help of experts. The Andhra Pradesh capital region development authority (APCRDA) has constituted a committee to study the flood threat the new capital expected to face from Kondaveeti Vagu and River Krishan in future and recommend remedial measures. The committee will help the CRDA in formulating fail-safe flood management of Vagu and its in-falling drains so as to ensure that Amaravati capital is free from inundation even in maximum flood conditions.
Many environmentalists warned the government of inundation threat which was totally ignored till now. The environmentalists fear that frequent flooding due to overflowing of local streams would pose a threat to Amaravati city as the construction of the city is bound to obstruct their natural flow. They charge that the government, while applying for environmental clearance, has suppressed these issues. However, during the flooding of Chennai recently, the safety of Amaravati has once again come to the fore. Many scientific studies also identified Amaravati as the potential flood prone area. The main threat for the city comes from Kondaveeti Vagu. Following the NGTs’ directive to submit a report on the flood situation, the government now started thinking seriously of the problem.
Official say, villages like Mandadam in capital region are flood prone and face the perennial threat as 4000 to 5,000 cusecs of flood water is expected from the Vagu every year. The vagu passes through Achampeta, Tadikonda, Amavarati and Mangalagiri mandals before joining with Krishna, upstream Prakasam Barrage.
The quiet Vagu is known to swell up in no time when waters from the drains upstream, including Ayanna Vagu, Pottela Vagu, Pala Vagu empty into the Vagu.
The Singapore firm, which prepared the master plan for new Capital, is said to have laid no emphasis flood problem. It concentrated more on the beauty aspects of the city.
Having seen the havoc played by the streams of Chennai and faced with criticism from the environmetalists, the state government appointed the committee to study and recommend steps for the management of flood water in Kondaveeti Vagu.
The ten-member committee is headed by M Venkateswar Rao , Engineer-in-chief, WRD, Hyderabad. The members of the committee are: Dr Rajendra Prasad, dept of Geophysics, Andhra University, VC Goel (National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkie), Prof . Srinivas, IISC, Bangalore, Mishra/Sumana, Wapcos, Delhi, B.S.N Reddy, Engineer-in-Chief (Rtd.), WRD, M.K. Rehman, Engineer-in-Chief (Rtd.), WRD, Hyderabad, I.S.N. Raju, Chief Engineer (Retd.), WRD, K. Papa Rao, OSD to Minister WRD, Vijayawada, and Chief Engineer, Amaravati Development Company, is member secretary of the committee.
