Severe flooding in Vijayawada city has brought to light the long-standing issues of government inaction and a lack of effective solutions regarding the Budameru rivulet. The state government has yet to compile comprehensive data on encroachments along the drainage system, which has repeatedly inundated farmland and residential areas over the years.
The plight of Vijayawada residents during Budameru overflows dates back to 1956 when political leaders initiated a movement to address these recurring calamities. Despite numerous protests from various political factions, little has been done to deliver sustainable solutions once those parties are in power. Key recommendations from expert committees, including the Mitra Committee in 1966, have largely been ignored, with minimal infrastructural improvements made since then.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has for years overlooked encroachments on the Budameru drain and its floodplains, allowing unauthorized developments to flourish. Areas alongside the Budameru floodplain were registered using survey numbers from adjacent land parcels to avoid legal issues, exacerbating the encroachment problem. Urbanization has rapidly accelerated in these zones, with flood levels remaining worryingly below 15,000 cusecs for the past two decades.
The consequences of unregulated development have become evident, as the Budameru drain has steadily reclaimed its floodplains, leading to significant flooding for the first time since 2005. The inundation has resulted in losses running into thousands of crores. The diversion channel constructed in 2006-07 was inadequate for the extreme flooding seen when the Krishna River experienced unprecedented flows exceeding 11 lakh cusecs. The drainage system’s inability to manage this volume of water has highlighted the urgent need for upgrades.
This year, the Budameru catchment received an extraordinary 33 cm of rain within just 36 hours, triggering severe flooding across the city. Historical data shows that floods in the region have consistently been linked to heavy rains within short timeframes, leading to critical reservoir levels and subsequent flooding in Vijayawada. Past flooding events, including those in 1989, 1990, 2005, and 2009, exemplify this ongoing crisis.
Despite the incapacity of the existing flood management infrastructure, officials are now focusing on developing an action plan aimed at resolving the flooding challenges faced by Vijayawada. Plans are underway to increase the Budameru Diversion Channel’s capacity to 35,000 cusecs, with considerations for the Polavaram canal’s capability also being evaluated. Recent assessments have acknowledged the need to better manage the Budameru’s water course, particularly from Enikepadu to Kolleru Lake, in light of ongoing encroachments.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation’s 2011 City Development Plan identified the blocking of the Budameru drain by encroachments as a critical issue, leading to property loss, health problems, and even fatalities. Of the city’s 59 divisions, 26 are flood-affected, and urgent measures to remove these encroachments have yet to materialize.
The aftermath of the floods has seen political parties engaging in blame games, while the affected residents are left to grapple with the damages to their homes and communities. Historical failure to address the Budameru flooding problem effectively has led to growing discontent among the populace, who are left awaiting concrete solutions as political maneuvering continues to overshadow their plight.
Published – September 14, 2024 08:15 am IST
