6 months ago
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The devastating Cyclone Montha enactment the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project’s resilience to the trial past month, erstwhile unprecedented floodwaters breached its Feeder Canal successful the Nallamala wood portion and inundated its 2 main tunnels.
According to authoritative reports, the cyclone that struck the Dornal–Rollapenta loop connected October 28 and 29 brought torrential rains that sent astir 24,000 cusecs of h2o from the Y. Cherlopalli vessel catchment into the Teegaleru Vagu, on with different 3,800 cusecs from the Dongalavagu. The combined inflows breached the Feeder Canal’s close bund adjacent km 0.850, carving a gash 100 feet agelong and 30 feet deep, portion washing distant adjoining farmland. Around 50,000 cubic metres of silt and debris piled up on a 250‑metre stretch, forcing floodwaters backmost into the project’s duplicate tunnels.
Both Tunnel I and Tunnel II were inundated for astir 10 kilometres, with h2o levels rising supra the 250‑metre people and an estimated 36.23 million cubic feet entering the shafts. Though the canal breach caused extended damage, punctual enactment by engineers and rescue unit averted nonaccomplishment of life. “About 250 workers engaged wrong Tunnel II were safely evacuated via the Kollam Vagu way and ferried by boats to the Srisailam Dam,” officials said.
The authorities has directed officials to accelerate de‑watering operations, arsenic flooding extended astir 9 km into the tunnels. The engineering squad has besides been asked to wide revised designs for caller factual retaining walls to safeguard the canal against aboriginal floods. In addition, a method committee has been constituted to retrieve the tunnel‑boring instrumentality trapped wrong Tunnel II, wherever 4.2 km of lining and benching enactment remains pending.
Restoration enactment is nether way. Five excavators person been deployed for large‑scale desilting, portion 2 high‑capacity pumps proceed to drain the tunnels. Authorities expect de‑watering to beryllium completed by November 15, aft which lining enactment volition resume.
It whitethorn beryllium recalled that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had laid the project’s instauration chromatic astir 3 decades agone during his tenure arsenic Chief Minister of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. However, rehabilitation and compensation issues stay unresolved. Of the 7 projected colonies, lone 4 person been completed truthful far.
To hasten progress, the State authorities has invited tenders for canal lining enactment and for constructing a 3‑km‑long retaining partition estimated astatine ₹456 crore. The task is present targeted for completion by 2026.
