Inadequacies in the city’s drainage system surfaced as heavy rains under the impact of Cyclone Gulab pounded the city over the past few days, with stormwater flowing on to roads and inundating entire colonies.
Sixty-three areas under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits witnessed severe water-logging, with residents being shifted to rehabilitation centres. Many people underwent an ordeal as rainwater entered homes, damaging furniture, books and kitchen essentials. They bemoaned that inundation of their colonies was due to drains being encroached by illegal constructions.
According to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Visakhapatnam (West Constituency) P.V.G.R. Naidu (Gana Babu), the overflowing of stormwater from a number of drains was occurring due to encroachment caused by unauthorised constructions both by the government as well as private agencies in many colonies.
“Pendurthi and the airport area were badly affected. Such heavy water-logging was not seen in recent times. Many colonies experienced flooding for the first time,” Mr. Naidu said.
He also said that an Union Government agency has raised the area of construction by around 12 to 13 feet near the Airport-Sheela Nagar area, which resulted in diversion of canal water and flooding of Yellapuvanipalem, SC Colony, Bhagat Singh Nagar and Kothapalem, with the NDRF being deployed to rescue people.
“People of Durga Nagar near Sujatha Nagar have never seen such water-logging. The width of a stormwater drain was reduced for the widening of the BRTS corridor near Pendurthi. This led to flooding in the colony. A similar situation prevailed at Marripalem and in the industrial area. Many colonies were flooded for the first time due to disturbances caused to the stormwater drains,” he alleged.
When Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao visited the flood-affected areas in Yellapuvanipalem near Gopalapatnam, a number of locals complained of encroachment of drains, saying it led to the inundation of their colonies.
A number of areas from Pedagantyada and Gajuwaka region were also inundated. Ward 76 corporator Gandham Srinivasa Rao of the TDP said that a large boundary wall was built by a private company, which is obstructing the free flow of water.
The water flow was disturbed at many other places such as HB Colony, Burma Colony, Balacheruvu, Korada, and Dairy Colony. The corporator added that he has requested the GVMC to take up desiltation works in the wards, which is still pending.
CPI(M) leader B. Ganga Rao alleged that a number of areas do not have proper drainage system. Drainages in many areas are not properly connected to nearby streams. Colonies in Arilova, Hanumanthuwaka, Akkayyapalem, Kancharapalem face inundation due to blockage of existing drains, he said. He also added that the corporation should also provide proper drainage system to slums in areas such as Pendurthi and Kancharapalem.
Ward 39 corporator Sadiq Mohammed said that a few drains were blocked due to encroachments over drains, and due to this de-siltation was being hindered, resulting in inundation of a number of areas in One Town.
Published - October 01, 2021 01:15 am IST
