Breaches on Budameru Drain closed

Government and Army work together to repair breaches in Budmeru drain, preventing flooding in Vijayawada city.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) officials could close the third breach on the Budameru drain as well. The WRD officials continued the works late on Friday (September 7, 2024) night and ensured that the third breach was also repaired.

The Government took up the repair works on a war footing basis to close the breaches on the Budmeru drain, which created havoc in Vijayawada city. The WRD officials were able to close two breaches while the drain was full. Due to heavy rains and floods from the neighbouring Telangana state, three breaches occurred in the Budameru Diversion Channel (BDC). More than 60,000 cusecs of flood were reported in the drain.

A 40-member team of the Army Engineering Task Force, which reached the city on Friday (September 6, 2024), inspected the breaches on the BDC. About 120 jawans of the Sixth Battalion assisted the government in repairing the breaches. The army closed down the breach on one side of the drain, while another agency plugged the breach.

The flood waters entered the residential area Ajith Singh Nagar, in the city. The people had sleepless nights due to the flooding of their localities. The flood waters entered many houses damaging the properties, household articles, vehicles etc.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu congratulated the ministers, and officials for their efforts in plugging the breaches. “It was a big challenge for them, and they succeeded,” he said.

WRD Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu said that the Chief Minister monitored the situation from the NTR district collectorate round- the-clock. “We worked hard with the sole objective of serving the people,” he said, adding, that the height of the bund of the BDC would be increased to see that flood would not enter the city even if the flood increased beyond the present level.”