Tax Payers’ Association demands construction of check dam on Krishna River

President and secretary of the Tax Payers’ Association, V. Sambi Reddy and M.V. Anjaneyulu, have called upon the State government to construct a check dam upstream on the Krishna River to store approximately 5 TMCs of water. This initiative aims to address Vijayawada City’s drinking water issues and reduce reliance on the Prakasam Barrage.
In letters addressed to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu, Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad, Irrigation Special Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar, the association leaders emphasized the critical need for the check dam.
They noted that 2.70 TMCs of water is essential for the drinking and household needs of Vijayawada’s 1.4 million residents, with an additional 2.50 TMCs required for industries, hospitals, hotels, hostels, offices, restaurants, cinema theatres, bus stations, educational institutions, and other establishments.
The leaders also pointed out that the water storage capacity of the Prakasam Barrage has been decreasing due to evaporation, and other sources like the Pulichinthala Project and the Godavari River are experiencing constraints.
The construction of the check dam is viewed as the only viable solution to ensure a dedicated water source for Vijayawada City. Additionally, the association leaders highlighted the necessity for repairs to the city’s water pipelines to prevent contamination and recommended replacing old pipelines with new HD pipelines.