Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu said on Monday that the construction of a 365-metre-long CC wall connecting the three bunds formed in the Budameru embankment in connection with the Budameru flood that inundated Vijayawada city last year has been completed. The minister was speaking after inspecting the works. Along with the CC wall, the seven-km-long left bank of Budameru is being constructed and strengthened by increasing the height of half a metre, he said.

The minister also stated that the gates of the Velagaleru regulator were not opened when there was a flood last year as the maintenance work was not done. At that time, the gates were opened using JCBs with the help of local farmers. A total of 12 gates of the regulator have now been installed at a cost of Rs 1.8 crores, the minister said.

“The old channel of Budameru  and Enikepadu have a present capacity of 4,000 cusecs. We are increasing it to 20,000 cusecs. In addition to this, work is being done to ensure smooth flow of water by desilting the entire 57 km stretch of Budameru  drain from Enikepadu to Kolleru,” he added.

He also informed that tenders have been floated with a fund of Rs 9 crore to ensure that the water coming to Kolleru goes into the sea through Upputeru and that desilting work is also being carried out there. He said that it may take another three to four years for Operation Budameru  to be completed on permanent basis. Irrigation Advisor M. Venkateswara Rao, ENC Narasimhamurthy, Krishna Delta CE Rambabu and other senior officials were present on the occasion.