VIJAYAWADA: Efforts are on to plug the breaches to Budameru rivulet, which is proving to be a challenge given the extent of the breach which is reported to be 50-60 metres each.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Rama Naidu are supervising the works to plug the breaches at the earliest.
On Wednesday, Ministers Lokesh and Rama Naidu, and others visited the major breaches at Shanti Nagar downstream of Velagleru and supervised the efforts. Lokesh inspected the breaches personally and walked into the area to assess the situation. He supervised the equipment and various works to be completed and later started monitoring the situation from the Command and Control Centre through drones.
According to officials, absence of road connectivity to the points of breach is proving to be a big challenge as there is a need to rope in heavy machinery such as trucks and earth movers at the sites. Loose soil and gushing water is exacerbating the situation.
For the last three days, Irrigation engineers have been trying to plug the breaches. Fortunately, with flood levels receding, the first breach at Shantinagar, which is around 60 metres wide, was plugged up to 70% to 80% and an official says if everything goes well, the breach will be plugged by Thursday.
A total of six breaches downstream of Velagaleru Regulator, three on the side of Vijayawada and rest towards Ibrahimpatnam have proved to be a difficult task. The focus is on plugging the breaches on the Vijayawada side as there are several habitations, while on the Ibrahimpatnam side, it is largely agriculture fields.