KURNOOL: Despite being designed nearly 15 years ago, the construction of a flood safety wall in Kurnool has been delayed, leaving the city vulnerable to recurring floods.
The irrigation and revenue departments and the Kurnool Municipal Corporation proposed the wall in late 2007 to prevent flooding from the Tungabhadra and Handri rivers, but the project remains stalled due to political and funding issues.
Kurnool residents, haunted by memories of the devastating 2009 floods, are now even more concerned after the flash floods in Vijayawada.
They are urging the government to take up the construction of the flood protection wall and plug the breach at Sunkesula Barrage.
Senior citizen K Satyam, who witnessed the 2009 floods, now residing in King Market area, an adjacent colony of the Tungabhadra river, expressed frustration over the inaction of both the ruling and opposition parties.
“If the wall is not built soon, the city will remain at risk,” he warned.
Though officials have revised the project’s estimated cost from Rs 240 crore in 2009 to Rs 1,050 crore in 2013, no significant progress has been made. In 2018, funds were sanctioned for flood protection measures, including bridge construction and widening of the Suddavagu and Handri. However, the safety wall remains unbuilt.
Speaking to TNIE, PWD Executive Engineer Narayana Reddy said, “While the project has clear benefits, it involves considerable expense. Moreover, there is an argument that spending such a large amount for floods that occur once in several years is unnecessary. Another concern is that building large walls may cause problems for the regular flow of water from the city into the river, especially during the monsoon season. Hence, the government is not considering the protection wall project now.”
