Vijayawada: To prevent frequent flooding during the monsoon season at the Vidyadharapuram bus depot in the city, the civil engineering wing of the APSRTC has prepared plans to elevate the depot by about three-and-a-half feet from the ground level, which would raise it one foot above the existing road level across it. The project is estimated to cost 8-10 crore.The APSRTC bus depot in Vidyadharapuram is spread over 20 acres and houses a range of APSRTC facilities like transport academy, zonal office, central hospital and other wings. Last year, several buses got damaged after remaining in floodwater for days as the swollen Budameru rivulet submerged the Vidyadharapuram bus depot following the floods in Krishna river.“The bus depot is prone to frequent flooding as it lies below the road level. We witness waterlogging at the bus depot premises for even short rain spells. It is important to elevate the ground level at the depot as the electricity infrastructure; charging points required to charge EV buses are going to be developed at the bus depot,” Vidyadharapuram bus depot manager Subramanyam told TOI.He added that the task elevating bus depot surface, due to recurring floods, has been designated for operational maintenance of the 100 EV buses that are to be given to the NTR district region.The depot manager said that the works are expected to take place simultaneously along with the charging infrastructure works as soon as the funds sanctioned for it are received.
