The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Narrow bridge, hyacinth obstruct water flow in the Kolleru Lake

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Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Narrow bridge, hyacinth obstruct water flow in the Kolleru Lake

G. Ravikiran

This causes an increase in the water level, inundating surrounding regions

An earthmover removing water hyacinth at Pedayedlagadi Bridge in Kolleru lake in Krishna district.

PEDAYEDLAGADI (Krishna District): The bridge here that allows water in Kolleru Lake to move towards the seafront is posing a problem to the villagers, as they say that it is not long enough to handle a heavy flood. Consequently, water hyacinth has grown hugely at the mouth, obstructing the current of flood and resulting in very poor outflow.

This has caused an increase in the water-level in the lake in an unprecedented manner, inundating scores of lake and ordinary villages in Kaikaluru, Mandavalli and a few other mandals in Krishna district.

Though the villagers are trapped in waters, the administration has taken few steps to provide immediate relief. Only one earthmover has been engaged to remove water hyacinth near Pedayaedlagadi Bridge for the past 20 days. One of the supervisors there says that over 100 labourers are working, but there is a lot more of the water plant to be removed for free flow of floodwater into the lake.

A flood-balancing reservoir between the Krishna and the Godavari, Kolleru is under great pressure now due to heavy inflows from Budameru drain and also from nearly 68 irrigation drains and channels in the Krishna delta.

These floods have unleashed their fury on the lake following changes after the Kolleru Operation, which saw removal of fish tanks and such obstructions. Though there are expectations of more floodwater coming into the lake, there are no follow-up measures for effective outflow mechanism.

MLA’s charge

TDP Krishna district general secretary and MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao says that the revenue officials are showing callous indifference to this and they should have engaged at least four earthmovers to remove water hyacinth to control flood situation.

“For nearly three weeks, the lives of lake residents is paralysed.

The administration has not done nothing so far to ease flood situation,” he alleges. Mr. Umamaheswara Rao, who visited the affected villages in the lake on Wednesday, demands that the government initiate immediate steps to lengthen the Pedayedlagadi bridge by another 20 pillars from the present 48-odd pillars. The government should also widen and strengthen the Upputeru drain to enable increased outflows from the lake into the sea, he says.

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