By Surya Kumar
Vijayawada: A political slugfest is witnessed between the ruling TDP-led National Democratic Alliance government in Andhra Pradesh and the opposition YSR Congress Party over the recent rains flooding Vijayawada and nearby areas.
YSRCP president and former chief minister raked up a controversy by asking questions over the viability of developing Amaravati as a Greenfield capital. He stated that several areas under the proposed capital including the residence of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu at Undavalli were flooded owing to the failure of plans. He reiterated his claim that the capital region planned all along the riverbed area on the Krishna Delta was not suitable for constructing superstructures.
Jagan during his tenure had cleared the proposal to develop three capitals by making the industrial city of Visakhapatnam, the seat of power. The plan did not materialise due to stiff opposition by the TDP, other parties, and the farmers from 29 affected villages. Several petitions are pending against the proposed move in the Supreme Court.
Chief Minister Naidu had acquired 35,000 acres of cultivable land under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) in 2015 promising to give the farmers 1,000 square yards of developed plots of their choice for every one acre surrendered for the development of a ‘futuristic’ capital. A Master Plan had been prepared by a Singapore based Consortium.
Blaming Naidu for failing to prevent the damage despite a warning by the Indian Meteorological Department, Jagan said the floods exposed vulnerabilities in the places chosen for development of the capital region. The submergence of several critical areas including the Seed Access Road to Lingayapalem, Rayapudi, and the road leading to the AP High Court, highlights the risks associated in building a capital in a flood-prone river zone.
YSRCP argues that choosing Amaravati as the capital was a decision fraught with challenges from the start. The Siva Rama Krishnan Committee had earlier raised concerns about selecting this region due to its susceptibility to flooding, recommending that the capital should be located in a safe area.
YSRCP leadership alleges that TDP’s decision to go ahead with Amaravati was driven by several factors including political and economic considerations overlooking long-term risks associated with the region’s environmental conditions.
Jagan alleged that the choice of Amaravati has also led to significant expenditure in infrastructure development, and land acquisition, all of which might now be at risk due to the region’s inherent vulnerabilities.
Lashing out at Jagan for carrying out a vilification campaign, Naidu called for a debate as to why a social boycott should not be imposed on Jagan for saying that the release of sluice gates of Budameru rivulet without any warning to avoid complete flooding of his Undavalli mansion. “He is spreading concocted stories. I wonder if he could become a Chief Minister without knowing that the rivulet doesn’t have gates.”
Naidu stated that Vijayawada city had to suffer the worst-ever damage due to a record rain of 30 cm plus in less than 24 hours. He said the rainwater flooded the colonies due to encroachments and unauthorised constructions. That was done during the YSRCP regime around Budameru and other rivulets and Kolleru Lake. He hinted at launching a crackdown on unauthorised structures in the catchment areas of water bodies like the one taken up by HYDRA by his Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy in and around Hyderabad.
