The issue of unauthorised constructions on the Payakapuram flood bund was to the fore at a meeting convened by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation to discuss an ‘Action Plan for Budameru Flood Preparedness', on Wednesday.
Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu, who chaired the coordination committee meeting, asked all the departments to prepare the action plan in the next three days. Pointing out that there was a spurt in unauthorised constructions on the Payakapuram flood bund, the Irrigation officials felt that there was an urgent need to control these illegal constructions. They also stressed the need for providing additional vents in the bund for speedy discharge of flood water in the case of any emergency.
The Irrigation officials suggested that 25,000 sand bags could be kept ready, and requested the VMC officials to clear the bottlenecks at Devi Nagar diversion road and New Rajarajeswaripet causeway.
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Responding to it, the commissioner asked the engineering wing to identify the vulnerable areas of Budameru flood and submit an action plan. He asked the Road and Buildings (R&B) officials to provide vents on the Nuzvid road in Ajit Singh Nagar to avoid inundation of highway.
The Fisheries Department was asked to prepare the list of swimmers and boats, while the A.P. State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department was suggested to form rescue teams, and make arrangements for deployment of emergency equipment and personnel. The public health wing of the VMC was asked to get ready to open sanitation and medical camps. The Municipal Commissioner told the officials that they should be available round the clock in the case of an emergency.
Sub-Collector K. Dharma Reddy, Vijayawada Urban Tehsildar Ch. Ramesh Babu, Irrigation Deputy Executive Engineer M.V. Lakshmi Narayana, R & B Assistant Executive Engineer B.V. Mohan Rao, Assistant Supply Officer- I P. Komali Padma, Station Fire Officer A. Sekhar and others were present.
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