Inundation is likely to be a problem in the new Capital city if the State government did not address the Kondaveeti vagu flood issue.
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) authorities fear that frequent inundation due to the overflowing of local streams would be a big problem for the new Capital. Five streams originate in the upland areas and join Krishna River at various points.
Kondaveeti Vagu is among the stream that poses a challenge to the administrators in Capital city in the days to come, if proper plans are not put in place, sources say.
Villages like Mandadam get inundated by the storm water as nearly 4,000 to 5,000 cusecs of floodwater is recorded in Kondaveeti vagu every year. The stream passes through Achampeta, Tadikonda, Amaravathi and Mangalagiri mandals and merges into the Krishna River, upstream Prakasam Barrage.
For years, the overflowing Kondaveeti Vagu, originating from the Kondaveedu Hill Range, has been spreading havoc in Tadikonda and Amaravathi mandals. The quiet stream swells up when waters from medium drains upstream, including Ayanna Vagu, Pottela Vagu, Pala Vagu and etc flow into it.
As the waters flow dangerously above the numerous causeways on Amaravathi Road, traffic comes to a stand still on Guntur-Amaravathi road during peak monsoon.
Master plan
The Singapore firm, which is preparing a master plan for new Capital, is laying emphasis on beautification of the stream, but did not take the perennial problem into account. The issue came up for discussion during a visit of the Singapore team recently.
The firm was asked to devise plans to ensure that the Capital would not face inundation problem, CRDA sources say.
Though the respective governments chalked out plans to modernise the stream, none of them were fruitful. The Kiran Kumar Reddy government (in combined Andhra Pradesh) had issued G.O (MS No. 445) giving administrative sanction for taking up the works. But, there has been hardly any progress.
“The problem continues to persist for the last 25 to 30 years. Precious little has been done on this front,” says farmer leader and former MP Yalamanchili Sivaji.
The planners were dependent on satellite images rather than ground realities. The whole problem lies there, he feels.
