The recent floods caused havoc in Vijayawada where various areas in the city were submerged in water for many days. The Budameru rivulet was breached, leading to the flood water overflowing into nearby areas.
The Andhra Pradesh government had to work tirelessly for over 10 days to restore normalcy to the city. After facing such devastation, the government is now planning to build the new capital, Amaravati, with the capacity to handle floods of any magnitude.
The state’s Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister, P Narayana, stated that three canals have been designed as a part of the construction of Amaravati.
The three canals are Palavagu, Kondaveeti Vagu and Gravity Canal. Narayana discussed the construction of these canals with the Amaravati Development Corporation Limited (ADCL) chairman and other concerned officials.
Narayana said that the government is aiming to finish the works of these canals by the next monsoon. He noted that discussions are underway to set up pumping stations near Undavalli and Vaikuntapuram.
According to the plan, the pumping station at Undavalli will have a capacity of 12,350 cusecs, Vaikuntapuram will handle 5,650 cusecs, and the Buckingham Canal will have a capacity of 4,000 cusecs.
Narayana stated that once these canals are constructed, Amaravati will no longer face flooding issues, as they will be able to store floodwaters of any magnitude.
The government is also planning to build a total of six reservoirs. These include storage capacities of 0.4 TMC near Neerukonda, 0.1 TMC near Krishnayapalem, 0.01 TMC near Shakamuru, 0.3 TMC near Lam, and 0.3 TMC near Vaikuntapuram.
