Gabion baskets to help Army team plug third breach point at Budameru in Vijayawada

Indian Army HADR team addresses flood situation in Vijayawada with Gabion baskets and protective bunds, ensuring effective relief efforts.

The Indian Army Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) operations team is addressing the flood situation in Vijayawada, following three critical breaches developed at the Budameru canal, an official release issued in Visakhapatnam said on Friday (September 6, 2024).

The first and second breaches, each ranging between 10 metres and 15 metres, have been temporarily plugged.

The temporary solution led to a funnelling effect, increasing the inflows significantly at the third breach site, which spans approximately from 80 metres to 100 metres. The water current at this location was between 6 knots and 8 knots, which might increase upto 12 knots.

To counter this, the team plans to employ a robust two-layer strategy using Gabion baskets. These baskets will be stacked one atop another and filled with stones to fortify the breach. Following the placement of the Gabion baskets, a protective bund up to 4 meters in height will be built, accompanied by the necessary earthwork to support the outer side of the baskets.

Furthermore, the fabrication of Gabion baskets is underway, using the local resources at the site for immediate deployment. Additionally, trials will also include the use of HESCO baskets filled with sandbags to evaluate their effectiveness.

The Army HADR operations team is committed to mitigating the impact of this breach and would continue to undertake pre-emptive measures as the situation evolves, the release addded.