KURNOOL: The residents of Kurnool city have been seeking the construction of flood safety wall to prevent flooding of the city like in 2009. The officials of irrigation, municipal and revenue departments sent proposals to the government in 2007 to construct flood safety wall to prevent flooding of Tungabadhra and Handri rivers due to incessant rains.
Going by the bitter experience of flooding of the city nearly nine years ago, people of Kurnool have been demanding a safety wall to prevent inundation. Though an assurance was given, the project is yet to materialise as politicians are seeking some profits from the contractors. The people have been urging the government to close the breach at Sunkesula Barrage fearing a recurrence of floods. They said that both ruling and Opposition parties were not showing interest to take up construction works of flood safety wall. If the wall around the river banks was not constructed immediately, Kurnool city may have to grapple with unusual floods.
Heavy rains that triggered the October 2009 floods in the catchment area of the Krishna River basin resulted in heavy inflows into three rivers. The Handri River and its tributary Vakkileru pass through the city. According to officials of KMC, maximum flood level reached 284 metres above sea level on October 2, 2009.
The city’s contour map identifies the banks of the Tungabhadra River at 271 metres, so the area between 271 and 284 metre contour lines has been marked as the inundated area and divided into three categories of submergence like high, moderate and low. As per these calculations, the officials prepared a proposal to construct flood safety wall at an estimated cost of Rs240 crore in 2009 (based on the proposals prepared in 2007 at a cost estimation of Rs150 crore). “Now this estimate has increased to Rs 1,050 crore based on present rates,” the irrigation staff said.
Irrigation department protection wing executive engineer B Rajendra Prasad said there was no response from the government even though they submitted the proposal for construction of flood safety wall in 2013.
“At present, the government has sanctioned some funds for construction of Joharapuram road bridge works, desilting of Suddavagu and Handri rivers as part of flood protection measures,” he said and added that Kurnool MLA SV Mohan Reddy has urged the government to construct flood safety wall as per proposals prepared in 2009.
Cost escalation
The officials prepared a proposal to construct flood safety wall at an estimated cost of Rs240 crore in 2009 (based on the proposals prepared in 2007 at a cost estimation of Rs 150 crore). Now this estimate has increased to Rs 1,050 crore based on present rates.