Vijayawada: Construction of a retaining wall along the Krishna river bund downstream of Prakasham barrage failed to take off despite government approval.
The project aimed at preventing inundation of the areas along the river bank was cleared during the Congress regime and it was revised after the Telugu Desam came to power.
The people in Krishnalanka, Yanamalakuduru and Ramalingeswar Nagar now fear possible flood as heavy amounts of water is being discharged from Prakasam barrage.
Local MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao said the project work actually commenced but it is in early stages. He said though the tender proceedings were completed almost an year ago, because of financial reasons the project failed to take off.
Now the government has released an amount of Rs 104 crore and the construction work will gain momentum once the current flood recedes. The project proposal first prepared with an estimated cost of Rs 46 crore waws later revised to Rs 164 crore.
However, the opposition parties are skeptical about the project. They alleged that the government is actually planning a tourism project in place of the retaining wall.
CPM secretary for capital region CH. Babu Rao said that the government was on backfoot because of the proposed tourism project to develop water sports. He said if the tourism project is taken up in place of the retaining wall, 10,000 families will get displaced. He alleged that the Pushkaralu works and huge ghats were constructed with an eye on the tourism project. He further said that the government should not displace the people citing encroachment of river banks as the Chief Minister himself is staying in a house constructed well inside the river bank.
Mr Rammohan denied this argument and said that the government has no intension to displace the people. He said if necessary, alternative houses will be constructed for those who face displacement. He said that though there was a proposal to construct a barrage at Tadigadapa and develop water sports it was in the early stages of discussion.
