Govt apathy main reason why Vijayawada got flooded

The torrential rains from August 30 have hit Vijayawada city hard, and become a nightmare for the people. Nearly 40 per cent of Vijayawada is submerged in water.

The government failed to give a red alert and shift people to safer places. Reports say that about seven lakh people are now without adequate food, safe water and electricity.

The city had not experienced suffering on this scale in 30 years. In fact, the human suffering and property loss are colossal compared to the Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone, as admitted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

It rained cats and dogs

According to weather reports, Vijayawada received 27 per cent more rain, or 548.4 mm, as against the annual rainfall of 429.10 mm. The South Central Railway cancelled 323 trains and diverted 170 in view of the floods. Five people died in Vijayawada’s Mogalarajapuram area due to a landslide while nine people died in NTR district alone.

Incessant rains and floods in Vijayawada have created havoc in people’s lives. Many colonies are inundated in water. People are living in fear as half the city is submerged in rain water. Basic necessities are not available to the people.

Terrible human suffering

In areas like Ramakrishnapuram, Arunodayanagar colony, Singhnagar, Nandamuri Nagar, Nunna, Krishnalanka and Ibrahimpatnam, water has risen up to first floor level, forcing harried residents to move to higher floors and live in crammed places.

What really went wrong in Vijayawada? One should understand that the main reason behind the rains is the impact of climate change. El Nino and La Nina effects led to continuous rains.

The catastrophe has resulted in an enormous loss to the property and livestock. Residents were stunned to see torrents of water coming into houses within hours, deading to unprecedented suffering and trauma.

Families where the menfolk were out at work were the worst hit. These people need psychosocial support from government agencies. It is the primary duty of the government to ensure safety and security of the people besides disaster risk reduction and its management among others.

River route encroachments

Budameru is a big river which originates from the Mylavaram mountains, between Agiripalli and Kondapalli town. It has water throughout the year and it is a huge source of drinking water to nearby colonies.

Usually, water flows in the Budameru every year to a maximum of 10-11 lakh cusecs. This shot up due to heavy rains and the city got badly affected.

It takes different turns and curves, with water flowing in a natural course during the rains. The water enters surrounding areas due to encroachments.

Genesis of the problem

Therefore, engineers feel that more than River Krishna, it is Budameru which is dangerous to Vijayawada. After the 2005 floods, the Irrigation Department suggested raising a ‘retaining wall’ all along the river course so that inundation can be controlled. Flood containment work was taken up at that time but it was neglected.

Added to it, the apathy of the governments in controlling the encroachments has resulted in a natural calamity whenever there are heavy rains.

But the authorities have not learnt from past experience. The government neglected the construction of a wall across the Budameru. The engineers argue that had the wall been constructed, the situation now would have been relatively better.

Encroachments to blame

Retired chief engineer D Ramakrishna is of the opinion that the rains are not the reason for the flood water ravaging the houses. The encroachments in the Budameru catchment area have changed the course of the river, making water enter the city.

The constructions blocked the route through which the river drained into the Kolleru lake, turning into a gigantic flood.

About 37 cm of rainfall enveloped the city in no time and caused a major disaster in the absence of any preparedness. The catchment areas of Budameru have been encroached by politicians and realtors who oversaw the construction of houses and or ventures and sold the plots to the gullible.

It is said that the size of the Budameru has shrunk by almost 90 per cent due to illegal constructions. So, one can imagine that even above average rainfall could turn into a serious disaster. The process of encroachments has been going on for 10 to 14 years but there is no objection from the government.

Relief measures

Officials say relief measures have been taken up with six lakh food packets, 8.5 lakh water bottles and 3 lakh litres of milk. These have been distributed to people caught in a sea of water. A hundred fire engines were deployed to clean up houses. Drinking water was supplied through 182 tankers.

Also, medical and health teams rushed to prevent the outbreak of diseases in view of dead bodies floating in the water. The government ordered scientific disposal of animal carcasses.

A total of 228 boats were deployed to rescue people affected by the floats. Of this, 154 boats were employed in NTR district. However, people complained that the relief was inadequate. The Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force teams were deployed to help people caught up in flood water.

Mudslinging, the way ahead

Now political parties are criticising one another for not taking up preparatory work to avert the situation. This is not the time for mudslinging but to save those undergoing misery and agony. Political parties, the government and others should undertake relief and rehabilitation measures immediately so as to bring back normalcy to the city.

As soon as the rains subside, the government should discuss with all stakeholders and take up steps that would protect the people at least in the future. The locals should be facilitated to form ‘protection committees’ equipped with disaster preparedness and other knowledge.

The government should also organise capacity building programmes to these committees and provide some resources to meet exigencies during such calamities. It should adopt a multi stakeholder approach with commitment.