Nellore: Minister Dr P Anil Kumar Yadav assures construction of river bunds across Penna

Nellore: Minister for Water Resources Dr P Anil Kumar Yadav reiterated on Sunday that the state government would construct bunds alongside the River Penna in the city limits for preventing flooding in nearby colonies.

He said they were planning the structures from the Penna Barrage up to the bridge on the National Highway close to Janardhan Reddy Colony. He instructed the officials to prepare required estimates for construction of the bunds which can withstand even the flow of 8 lakh cusecs of water in the river.

Anil Kumar along with the Minister for Industries and IT Mekapati Goutham Reddy visited Janardhan Reddy Colony, Bhagat Singh Nagar and Ahmed Nagar in city limits highly affected due to cyclone Nivar. They observed the houses that received damages due to rainfall and strong gales and interacted with the local people. He assured the victims that the state government would support them.

Minister Anil Kumar Yadav said there were chances that some families residing on the banks of the river lose their houses because of construction of bund and assured that they would provide alternative houses to them. He said that river Penna witnessed the second largest flood this year in its history.

"Low-lying areas in the city have been inundated with floodwaters. The administration had shifted residents of such vulnerable colonies to the relief camps. We instructed the officials to prepare estimates for repairs to roads, bridges, and local tanks in the district that received damages due to the cyclone," said the Minister. Officials have been arranging water and food to the people in the affected areas in the city, he added.

Goutham Reddy said they would inform about damages to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy submitting a detailed report for any support from the state government. Goutham Reddy also said they had instructed the officials to prepare a detailed report on the damages to crops across the district.

He informed that there was a likelihood of another depression/cyclone as being predicted by the weathermen and people must be alert following the guidelines of the administration. Municipal Commissioner K Dinesh Kumar, RDO SK Hussain Saheb and other officials were present.