Hudhud: Quality helps withstand disasters

 

Though being on the beach road not even a single glass pane of star hotel Varun- Novotel was damaged and similar is the case with HSBC building. Whereas, many complexes on the beach road have been severely damaged. 

 

Novotel management says construction without compromising on quality has made the building resilient to rise above the storm. All the prominent shopping malls in the city have lost sheen with severe damages and are yet to resume work. 

 

“We never compromised on quality. Where Rs 50 is needed, we spent Rs 500. It is the reason why our hotel stood strong and remained intact,” said Prabhu Kishore, the Managing Director of Varun-Novotel. 

Just that we have shifted our coffee shop and gym to some other place in the building temporarily. We have used double glazed glass for 10,000 sft," said Varun-Novotel, Managing Director, Prabhu Kishore. Double glazing is made from two pieces of glass sealed together with air or gas space in between. 

 

Meanwhile, as Srikakulam district's geographical location is not suitable for the construction of major reservoirs, constructing flood banks is the only solution to save the district which witnesses Vamsadhara and Nagavali floods every year.

 

The construction of reservoir leads to submergence of large tracts of land and land acquisition is a costly affair. During the current season till October 17, total 252.09 thousand million cubic feet (TMCs) of water flowed into sea from Vamsadhara, Nagavali and other rivers said irrigation and Vamsadhara engineering officials. 

 

From Nagavali, Bahuda, Suvarnamukhi, Vegavathi rivers and Madduvalasa reservoirs, 113.11 tmcs water flows into the Bay of Bengal," said superintendenting engineer (SE) of Irrigati-on, Sanapala Venkata Ramana. 

 

“Lands in the district are fertile and in plane shape, construction of reservoirs not possible as it needs high level area and the water from it flows into fields easily," said executive engineer (EE) of irrigation, Bora Ravindra. 

 

“If we construct a reservoir, fertile lands will be submerged and flow of water becomes a problem because of plain lands,” the EE explained. 

“Normally hilly areas and waste lands are suitable for construction of reservoirs by diverting water from the rivers but unfortunately such kind of geographical features are not available here," said a senior engineering official who deputed for flood duties from West Godavari,” Dola Tirumala Rao said.

 

For construction of reservoir on Vamsadhara at Hiramandal to store 19 TMCs, 10 villages have to be displaced and about 25,000 acres fertile land would be submerged, the seniro engineer explained.