Suryapet: Following floods, people of Kodad are demanding HYDRAA type demolitions of illegal constructions in Full Tank Level (FTL) of irrigation tanks.
Even though not located near any river or canal of any irrigation tank, Koad has become one of the worst affected towns in the state due to heavy rains because of massive encroachments of irrigation tanks and nalas.
Kodad is a municipality, 43 kilometers from the district headquarters of Suryapet and is located beside NH-65. Due to its geographical location, the price of land in Kodad is very high.
The ugly experience of people following the recent floods has stoked the demand for HYDRAA-like act to demolish the constructions in Full Tank Level of irrigations tanks at Kodad.
Several colonies were submerged and two persons washed away in the floods in Kodad town. Flood water ran over NH-65 disrupting connectivity between Hyderabad and Vijayawada for four days. Flood water entered houses in Sri Shiridi Sai Nagar, Naya Nagar, Jahnavi Nagar and Teachers’ Colony in the town. Water also entered the office of Kodad municipality.
Constructions in Full Tank Level and on buffer zones of three irrigation tanks such as Pedda Cheruvu, Chinna Cheru and Erra Cheruvu and their nalas was the main reason for recent floods in Kodad.
According to the official records, 300 acres of Pedda Cheruvu were encroached upon. Houses, apartments, clubs and other buildings have come up in its FTL. The 720 acre-Pedda Cheruvu has shrank to 420 acres.
The situation is not different in Chinna Cheruvu and Erra Cheruvu. Constructions have encroached on nalas of these three irrigation tanks in the town.
After the floods, officials of Kodad municipality set up a board at Pedda Cheruvu cautioning people not to take up constructions in FTL area.
Social activist Podugu Hussein said a committee set up by then district collector Ali Murtaz Rizvi conducted a survey on Pedda Cheruvu in 2009 and submitted a report on its FTL. Based on it, illegal constructions in the areas of FTL should be removed by the municipal authorities, he added.
BJP town secretary Duggi Venkateshwarlu said the earlier government took up desilting of Pedda Cheruvu with Rs 5 crore, but not taken up restoration of feed channels.
Jalagam Sudheer, a social activist, alleged that some persons intentionally dumped wastes in the FTL area to level the tank up to ground level and later took up constructions in the area. Then, the municipal authorities were blind to the acts of encroachers.
Kodad municipal commissioner Rama Devi said they have already initiated measures for protection of irrigation tanks. Stringent action would be taken against those who are found dumping wastes in the irrigation tanks including on Pedda Cheruvu.
