Taxpayers Association demands government to take steps to protect Vijayawada from Budameru floods

The association members sent a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, municipal administration and urban development minister Ponguru Narayana and irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu via post and email in this regard on Friday.

Addressing the media in Vijayawada on Friday, Taxpayers' Association secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu and assistant secretary Vedantam Srinivas said the recent floods had caused extensive damage, with households suffering losses estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore, a figure that is expected to rise further.

“Ignoring the expert committee report submitted by A.C. Mitra and the City Disaster Management Plan, Vijayawada - 2011, prepared under the UNDP-GOI Urban Risk Reduction Project by the then VMC chief, has led to the devastating floods in Vijayawada city,” the association members pointed out. They further blamed successive governments for the recent flood disaster in the city.

As recommended by the Central government’s expert committee in 1964 for the prevention of Budameru floods, the state government should construct reservoirs on the Budameru stream, enhance the storage capacity of Brahmaiah Lingam Cheruvu to divert floodwater to the pond and increase the carrying capacity of the Budameru diversion channel to 35,000 cusecs.

The association also demanded that the government desilt the stream, correct bends in the stream and ensure free flow of water in the buffer zone. They proposed construction of a concrete protection wall along the buffer zone and suggested increasing the height of the flood protection wall along LBS Nagar, Sundarayya Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, VUDA Colony and Pathapadu Road to 10 feet, which would provide protection from floods to over one lakh people living in Radha Nagar, Praja Sakthi Nagar, Shanthi Nagar, Kandrika and other adjoining areas.

Additionally, the association urged the government to construct a flood protection wall around Jakkampudi YSR Colony and prevent constructions in buffer zones.