Budameru Diversion Canal capacity to be expanded

Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu and P. Narayana held a review meeting at the Vijayawada Irrigation Camp Office on Friday to discuss measures for controlling the Budameru floods. The meeting, attended by senior officials from various departments, focused on planning the reconstruction of Budameru and implementing steps to prevent future floods.
During the meeting, it was emphasised that the negligence of the previous government had led to significant losses for the city’s residents. Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu and P. Narayana stated that while the previous government had failed to allocate any funds for Budameru’s development, the current government is actively working on plans to strengthen flood control measures.
The review included discussions on enhancing the capacity of the Budameru diversion canal, which is set to increase from 17,500 cusecs to 37,500 cusecs, as per the Chief Minister’s directions. Officials were also instructed to expand the old channel’s capacity from the Velagaleru regulator to Kolleru and to ensure that water flows towards the sea from Kolleru without obstruction.
Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu pointed out that the damage caused by the Budameru floods was visible to all, with a sudden influx of 50,000 cusecs of water in one day, resulting in three breaches in the channel.
He praised the leadership of CM Chandrababu Naidu for effectively mitigating the impact of the floods and protecting the public.
He also mentioned plans to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation for the CM’s review.
Minister P. Narayana explained that the floods had caused significant hardship in 34 wards of Vijayawada, particularly affecting 5,00,000 people who were stranded in water for four days. Despite the challenges, the government ensured the provision of 20-30 lakh drinking water bottles daily to meet the people’s basic needs. However, some individuals politicised the water distribution efforts. Narayana stated that the previous government’s cancellation of the Budameru tenders had contributed to this situation.
The ministers criticised the previous government for its negligent approach in addressing the Budameru flood issue. They also announced that another review meeting would take place on January 18 with officials from the Irrigation, Municipal, and Revenue departments. Future measures to prevent floods in Vijayawada, as well as coordination between disaster management and the government, were key points of discussion.
Regarding financial constraints, the ministers noted that the previous government had mismanaged the state’s finances, but under CM Chandrababu’s leadership, the economic situation is gradually improving. They also indicated that the central government’s support would be sought for flood control initiatives in the Budameru and Krishna river basins.