LI to save Amaravati from floods

Amaravati: The CRDA will modernise the ‘Stream of Sorrow’ Kondaveeti Vagu following the model of Marina project of Singapore under which water would be released into Krishna river through a lift system to save the Amaravati capital region areas from floods.

According to the CRDA sources, the expert committee had analysed 15,000 cusecs of water in the Kondaveeti Vagu during heavy rains and floods. As much as 10,000 cusecs of flood water would be released into Krishna river and rest of 5,000 cusecs into adjacent Buckingham canal. Besides this, the stream would be widened and will be straightened at Neerukonda and Krishnayapalem for the free flow of water in the stream till Krishna river.

Singapore succeeded in controlling the floods to Marina stream through lift system into sea with the help of giant motors. Similarly, the Kondaveeti Vagu flood water would be sent into the Krishna river through lift system with the help of big motors.

During 1970’s, Singapore used to be inundated frequently due to Marina floods, so the Singapore government constructed three reservoirs on Marina, namely Serangoon, Punggol and Marina reservoir. Further, it constructed a barrage to stop sea water from flowing into Singapore from Marina stream at the merging point with sea.

Nine crest gates of the dam will be activated to release excess storm water into the sea when the tide is low during floods and if the tides are high, excess storm water would be released into the sea with the help of giant motor pumps which are capable of pumping an Olympics-size swimming pool per minute.

Similarly, the Kondaveeti Vagu is also experiencing similar type of floods which inundate 12,000 acres in the capital region in its 45-km-long-run before merging into the Krishna River. A regulator with 19 crest gates was constructed on the banks of Krishna river in the year 1964 at Undavalli near Prakasam Barrage to release the flood water into the river, but the regulator is failing to control and stop the Krishna river water’s reverse flow into Kondaveeti Vagu.

The water resources and Transco departments prepared a report about releasing 10,000 cusecs of water from Kondaveeti Vagu into Krishna river through lift procedure and further proposed a 50 megawatts power station at the merging point to produce electricity. The officials of the two departments led by executive engineer Babu Rao conducted inspection of Kondaveeti Vagu. Mr Babu Rao said that Kondaveeti Vagu would be widened to 20-30 meters width from present 9 meters width and Vagu will be cleaned for the free flow of water.