FLOOD OF NEGLECT

The devastating floods that submerged half of the 64 municipal divisions in Vijayawada in early September were largely T a man-made disaster, say experts.

- Amarnath K. Menon

Unbridled urbanisation along with delayed and non-existent flood mitigation measures combined to make it a nightmarish experience for residents. As water levels in the Krishna river rose in the wake of incessant rains through August 31 and September 1, when 27 per cent of the annual average rain fell in 48 hours, many buildings along the river were submerged, forcing residents to shift to safer places. But the real cause of the devastation was the swollen Budameru stream, flowing through Vijayawada, which speedily swamped low-lying colonies. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu moved in to survey the situation, camping in a bus parked in the compound of the NTR District Collector's Office in Vijayawada. Until the flood waters receded and power and piped water in large parts of the city was restored on September 10, Naidu ran his government from there. The chief minister himself was affected too-the Krishna flood waters submerged the ground floor of his home at Undavalli, in the Andhra Pradesh capital region of Amaravati.

Budameru originates in the Khammam district of Telangana, flows through the NTR district of Andhra, before draining into Kolleru lake in Eluru district. Kolleru is connected to the Bay of Bengal through the Upputeru river.