Varaprasadarao K
As floodwaters in the Budameru rivulet gradually decrease since Tuesday, irrigation officials have begun filling the breaches along the embankments that have been severely impacted. These breaches have been identified at three critical locations, with ongoing work expected to continue over the next three days. The heavy rains had caused the Budameru rivulet to swell, leading to a flood flow exceeding 15 thousand cusecs. This resulted in breaches that caused floodwaters to submerge several areas within Vijayawada city.
By Saturday evening, the floodwaters had begun entering residential colonies, and by Sunday morning, large swathes of the city were completely inundated, affecting approximately 3 lakh residents. As the flood flow has now reduced to 6,000 cusecs, officials are optimistic about further decreases in the coming days, offering much-needed relief to the residents. However, the situation had already inflicted significant damage, with hundreds of acres of cotton and rice fields submerged under the floodwaters, resulting in considerable agricultural losses.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the flood-affected areas, including the Budameru rivulet, to ensure that relief efforts are coordinated and effective. With the floodwaters receding, authorities are now focused on restoring normalcy and addressing the extensive damage caused by the flooding.