Mancherial Residents Want Bunds to Check Flooding

 ADILABAD: Residents of low-lying areas in Mancherial have demanded that state government construct a Karakatta (bund) on both sides of River Godavari to prevent it from flooding the low-lying areas in the town.

The demand has risen after water of flooded Godavari entered houses in the colonies of Ramnagar, Balajinagar, Peddammagudi and NTR Nagar. Flooding in these colonies started after Sripada-Yellampalli project authorities released 9.32 lakh cusecs of water downstream by lifting the dam’s 48 crest gates on Friday.  

Such flooding has been witnessed during last three years whenever there are heavy rains, leading to Godavari overflowing and flood water being released downstream from the Sripada-Yellampalli project.

Residents of Ramnagar tried to corner area BRS MLA N. Diwakar Rao when he visited the colony. They questioned why he is not taking any steps to prevent floods from entering into their colony.

The residents, particularly women, got angry when Diwakar Rao countered, asking why they have constructed houses when they know that River Godavari floods the area regularly.

However, the residents maintained that they had constructed the houses 10 years ago. The flood water is entering their colonies only from the past three years. They said they are ready to shift if the state government relocates them to a safer place and pays compensation for their lands.

Residents said backwaters of Sundilla Barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram project, also enter their colonies whenever there are heavy rains.