Amaravati govt implements flood management plan with new canals and reservoirs

VIJAYAWADA: In a move to make the capital city Amaravati a flood-free zone, the state govt has decided to create three canals and reservoirs.
The proposed canals and reservoirs are expected to absorb floodwater from Kondaveeti Vaagu, Palavaagu and the gravity canal.
The govt has directed Amaravati Development Corporation (ADC) and Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to start work on the proposed flood conservation projects immediately so that they will be ready by the next flood season.

Speaking to media at the CRDA office on Monday, municipal administration and urban development minister P Narayana said that they were taking all possible measures to ensure that no part of the capital city area (Amaravati) gets inundated from local streams and rivulets.
He said that the recent floods in Budameru on the outskirts of Vijayawada would be taken as a study case to handle sudden and unexpected floods.
He said that the govt has planned pumping stations at Undavalli and Vaikuntapuram to pump out additional flood waters.
"About 12,500 cusecs will be let out from Undavalli area, 4,000 cusecs from Buckingham canal and 5,650 cusecs from Vaikuntapuram. We have designed three schemes to take flood waters from local streams to make Amaravati flood-free," said Narayana. He said that the schemes have been planned in such a way that any amount of water could be stored in the canal and local reservoirs during the flood season. He said that they would develop Kondaveeti vaagu canal from Ananthavaram to Undavalli (23.6km), Palavaagu canal from Dondapadu to Krishnayapalem (16.7km) and 8-km long Vaikunthapuram gravitiy canal to take the flood flows effectively.
Narayana said that six reservoirs would come up in the capital city which would also supplement the drinking water needs of the city.
"A reservoir with 0.4 tmc will come up at Neerukonda, another reservoir with 0.1 tmc at Krishnayapalem, 0.3 tmc reservoir at Lam, 0.3 tmc reservoir at Vaikuntapuram and 0.01 tmc reservoir at Sakhamuru and 0.2 tmc reservoir at Peda Parimi would be constructed as part of the flood protection plan," said Narayana.