VIJAYAWADA: Water stagnation and drainage-related complaints have long been recurring concerns during Vijayawada’s monsoon. To ensure a quicker response to such civic issues, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) introduced Monsoon Response Teams (MRTs) last year. However, with fewer teams deployed this monsoon, concerns are being raised over the city’s preparedness during rains.
Last year, the VMC had 43 teams, each consisting of nine employees working in three shifts. This year, the number has been reduced to 27. The civic body claims that drainage improvements and infrastructure upgrades have reduced the need for emergency deployment in parts of the city.
In 2025, there were 13 teams in Circle-III, covering areas such as the Airport Corridor, Ramavarappadu Ring to Gannavaram-Prasadampadu, Enikepadu and Nidamanuru; 20 teams in Circle-II; and five teams in Circle-I.
This year, the deployment has been reduced to three teams in Circle-I, 12 teams in Circle-II and 12 teams in Circle-III, bringing the total to 27. Generally, these teams remain on round-the-clock alert throughout the monsoon season to ensure a prompt response to emergencies.
This year, the VMC has removed teams from areas, including Kummaripalem Centre, NRP Road in Gandhinagar, Bhanu Nagar, Rama Mandir Road and Vyakaranam Road, Bayina Bapuji Road, DV Manor Road, Ayush Hospital Road near Vijetha Super Market, Pullerukatta Drain adjoining areas, Burma Colony on Nuzvid Road and the Ramavarappadu Inner Ring Road stretch.
The civic body claims drainage systems are now sufficient to handle monsoon-related challenges. However, residents remain concerned about whether these areas will remain free from water stagnation.
Anil, a resident of Burma Colony, said, “Response teams were deployed here last year. I am not sure how many rain-related issues our area will face this time and how they will be tackled.” Meanwhile, senior engineering officials said the reduction in teams was based on improvements in the city’s drainage network and field assessments of vulnerable locations.
“The monsoon response teams are primarily deployed to address water stagnation complaints and issues related to desilting and drainage maintenance. Over the past year, the drainage system has improved considerably in several areas. Since these locations no longer experience the extent of flooding witnessed earlier, response teams have been withdrawn from those places,” senior engineering officials told TNIE on the condition of anonymity.
“The Pulleru Katta Drain remained a problem even after desilting works. Earlier, areas around the ESI Hospital witnessed knee-deep water stagnation during heavy rainfall. After removing encroachments and widening the drain, the situation has improved significantly and prolonged water stagnation has largely been addressed,” the official said.
While VMC officials remain confident that the revised deployment is adequate, the reduced number of response teams will be put to the test as the city enters the peak monsoon season, when intense spells of rain often expose the resilience of its drainage infrastructure.
----Khushali Agarwal