VIJAYAWADA: The Budameru rivulet, which recently wreaked havoc in Vijayawada, has now turned its fury toward the island villages around the Kolleru Lake. Heavy floodwaters have submerged these villages, pushing the water level in Kolleru to a critical 12 feet. As the waters rose, access to the villages of Penumalanka, Ingilipakalanka, and Nandigama Lanka in the Mandavalli mandal was cut off on Wednesday.
The situation has been worsened by obstructions in the Upputeru channel, intensifying the impact of the floods in Eluru, Mandavalli, and Kaikaluru mandals. Additional floodwaters from the Budameru, Ramileru, Tammileru, and Munneru rivers have converged into Upputeru, further raising water levels. Additionally, around 68 major roads leading into Kolleru are currently submerged.
Kolleru Lake is flowing at dangerous levels, with an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 cusecs of floodwater entering, far exceeding its natural capacity of 10,000 cusecs. Normally, the floodwaters from Kolleru drain into the sea via the Upputeru channel in Mallavalli of Mogalthur mandal.
According to the Department of Water Resources, while the channel originally could drain 15,000 cusecs daily into the sea through the salt flats, encroachments have reduced this capacity to just 10,000 cusecs. This reduced capacity has left Kolleru’s island villages inundated and has caused significant losses to the local population, particularly thousands of farmers.
CPI State Committee Member Ch Baburao has criticised the State government, blaming its failure to implement effective flood prevention measures. He recalled that, following the 2005 Budameru flood, authorities promised to take preventative action, yet no substantial measures were implemented. He demanded that the government urgently implement flood prevention measures and urged the central government to declare the Vijayawada floods a national calamity, calling for a release of Rs 10,000 crore to assist the State in efforts.
Traffic disrupted
Floodwaters have engulfed Manugulur and Kovvadalanka villages, and the main Eluru-Kaikaluru road near Chinna Edla Gadi is submerged under 2 ft of water, causing traffic disruptions, exacerbating the situation
