Andhra Pradesh Battles Floods: Two Budameru Breaches Sealed, Third Closing Soon

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced on Friday that two breaches in the Budameru rivulet, which caused severe flooding, have been sealed. Efforts are ongoing to close the third breach. Naidu expressed optimism that the third breach might be sealed by tonight or Saturday morning, noting that 50% of the floodwater inflow was from this breach.

Efforts to Seal the Third Breach

Naidu stated, "We are about to close the breach by tonight or tomorrow morning. It is a very difficult one, even then we are putting in every effort, bringing in boulders and one minister is continuously sitting there." This statement was made during a press conference at the NTR district collectorate.

Rainfall on Thursday in the catchment areas led to an inflow of up to 9,000 cusecs into Budameru, raising water levels in flooded areas. However, there was no rain on Friday in these areas, reducing inflows to 3,500 cusecs. Naidu mentioned that sealing the breach is a new challenge even for Army teams working at Budameru.

Relief Measures for Flood-Affected Areas

To help those affected by power cuts due to flooding, Naidu said 74,000 candles and 50,000 matchboxes were distributed. Additionally, 7,100 sanitation workers cleared 12,046 MT of solid waste from the affected areas.

Naidu added that there is hope that no further inflows will occur tonight unless it rains. He said, "Now we have a belief that inflows will not come tonight but if it rains in the night then they could come in another five to six hours." The government is making every effort to ensure relief reaches all flood-affected areas.

The Chief Minister highlighted that one minister is continuously monitoring the situation at the breach site. Boulders are being brought in to aid in sealing the breach as quickly as possible.

Naidu assured that despite the challenges, all necessary steps are being taken to manage the situation and provide relief to those impacted by the floods.

The efforts to seal the breaches and provide relief are part of a broader strategy to mitigate the impact of flooding and ensure safety and support for affected residents.