Another breach to Budameru bund inundates 500 houses

Another breach has occurred in the ‘Budameru’ rivulet bund beneath the railway line from Vijayawada to Gudivada, at Vijaya Durga Nagar ‘Madhyakatta’, near Madhura Nagar in Vijayawada. The breach, which took place on Tuesday, was caused by the inability of the Enikepadu Under Tunnel (UT) to discharge floodwaters downstream towards Kolleru Lake.
As a result, floodwaters have inundated the Eluru Canal, submerging approximately 500 houses in Vijaya Durga Nagar ‘Madhyakatta’. Residents believe that the weakening of the ‘Budameru’ bund led to the breach. Consequently, vehicular movement on the route from ‘Budameru’ Vanthena to Gunadala has been disrupted, and the area around Madhura Nagar is also expected to be affected by the floodwaters.
Over 36,000 cusecs of floodwater have entered the ‘Budameru’, but there is no proper channel for it to flow into the Enikepadu UT. As a result, the flood has submerged areas including Ajith Singh Nagar, Payakapuram, Rajiv Nagar, KV Kandrika, Prakash Nagar, Devi Nagar, and other localities within the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation limits, as well as Ambapuram, Jakkampudi, Rayanapadu, Kothuru Tadepalli, and other villages in the Vijayawada Rural Mandal.
The ‘Budameru’ channelisation was proposed as part of the Krishna Delta Modernisation for Rs. 540 crore. However, due to various circumstances, this project has not yet materialised. The Krishna Delta Modernisation was initially proposed by the late Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy. Interestingly, after the death of Dr YSR, no subsequent Chief Minister has pursued this project.
Since the flood warnings began, residents have expressed concern over the weakening of the ‘Budameru’ ‘Madhyakatta’, but no officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) responded until the bund breached. The breached road serves as an alternative route from Kedareswarapeta to the Gunadala area, leading to Ramavarappadu Ring, Auto Nagar, Benz Circle, and the one-town area.
According to residents, the breach in the ‘Budameru’ ‘Madhyakatta’ has raised fears about the stability of the railway bridge pillars. They also mentioned that no prior warnings were given by irrigation officials, and even the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials did not visit their area.
Meanwhile, the residents have urged officials to undertake immediate repair work at Vijaya Durga Nagar, warning that further delays could lead to severe problems. When contacted, officials from the irrigation department stated that they would commence repair work on the ‘Budameru’ ‘Madhyakatta’ once the floodwaters recede.