The flooding of Sheelanagar for the second time in two months has caught the municipal officials unawares. With storm water drains encroached upon and construction coming up in tank-beds the water had no outlet and leading to flooding of Harijan Jaggayyapalem with about 800 houses.
The area was flooded in the last week of August and severe problems faced by the residents were raised in the municipal corporation general body meeting by corporators G. Amarnath and G.V. Krishna Rao.
On the instructions of the Mayor, plans for providing an outlet by engaging a consultant has been going on. But the unexpected rain had led to flooding once again.
Temporarily water flow was speeded up using earth moving machines. “But I urged Municipal Commissioner V.N. Vishnu during his visit on Monday to complete the process at least by the next rainy season,” said Mr. Amarnath.
Engineering officials says a 3 km-long drain has to be formed for providing an outlet for which 20-ft width of land from two site owners has to be taken. Both of them have agreed to give the land, it was learnt. Temporarily a breach has been formed to flush out the water.
The Rs.50 lakh allotted three years ago for the work is not sufficient and at least Rs.2 crore is required, say officials. The amount is sought to be raised from the flood damage funds. Besides, the drain passing through GAIL has to be cleared for free passage of water.
Small vents
The Gangavaram port's compound wall had led to submergence of HB Colony, Dairyfarm Colony and Rickshaw workers Colony by water from Meghadrigedda reservoir.
The reason for the flooding is that the vents provided are too small. “Where a 20 m wide vent is required only 2 m is provided leading to flooding,” said an official.
The corporation has prepared a Rs.231 crore permanent plan for a 22-km drain for the Kaniti Balancing Reservoir catchment area under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Plan. But it did not materialise.
To tide over the situation, the corporation plans a scaled down version of a mere 6 km estimated to cost Rs.50 crore and plans to take it up with the support of Gangavaram Port and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
