Blame it on rains or call it nature’s fury. Andhra Pradesh witnessed a massive scale of floods in 2009. About 300 villages and cities like Vijayawada and Kurnool experienced the worst flooding. More than a decade down the line, the flood banks of Kurnool Cuddappah (KC) Canal, which was totally damaged in the floods, still cries for the attention of the government. Situation is more or less similar across the State.
The successive governments have hardly paid any attention to the flood management. Meagre allocations for Operation and Maintenance (O&M), inadequate staff and zero equipment are some of the reasons for the dire state of affairs as far as flood banks and flood management is concerned. Flood mitigation plans and contingency plans have remained on paper or ‘limited to formal meetings.’
According to information, the allocations for the O&M have come down in the last…