Kolleru Lake villagers continue to be in a grip of fear

Eluru district Collector, Vetriselvi. K and Superintendent of Police, K. Pratap Shiva Kishore, inspecting the Kolleru Lake bed villages on a tractor to enquire about the flood situation on Friday (September 6, 2024). File
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The island villages in Kolleru Lake continue to be in the grip of fear as the flood waters reaching the Lake have increased by Saturday (September 7, 2024) morning. The people living in 44 low-lying island villages in Kolleru Lake are spending sleepless nights.

The water level in Kolleru Lake stood at 3.2 metres and increased to 3.3 metres by Friday (September 6, 2024) evening. The flood in the lake has been increasing as surplus from Budameru, Ramileru, Tammileru, Pedapadu, Tokalapalli and other drains overflow into the Kolleru lake. The officials used to divert the surplus waters in Kolleru Lake to Upputeru. However, the encroachments in Akivedu, Kala, Bhimavaram, Mogalthur and other places hinders the free flow of flood waters in Upputeru. The officials are worrying that the 120 island villages in Mandavalli, Akivedu, Nidamarru mandals, Bhimadolu, Eluru rural and other places will be inundated if the water flow is increased further.

The flood waters discharged from the Budameru drain, one of the major drains in the NTR district is reaching the Kolleru Lake, which is now brimming with flood waters. Also, the flood from Ramileru, Tammileu and Munneru is reaching the Lake. The flood from as many as 68 major and minor drains is reaching the Lake. While about 10,000 cusecs of water are available during normal days, at present about 25,000 cusecs of water is present in the lake, according to officials.

The flood water from Kolleru Lake joins the sea at Mulaparru in Mogalturu Mandal via Upputeru. However, due to encroachments in Upputeru, which drains the flood from Kolleru Lake into the sea, the free flow of water is obstructed. While the Upputeru has a capacity to discharge 15,000 cusecs per day, it has come down to 10,000 cusecs due to encroachments.

The officials say that island villages Mandavalli, Kaikaluru and other mandals in the Eluru district are likely to suffer due to heavy inflows into the Kolleru Lake. The island villages such as Penumaka Lanka, Inglipakalanka, Nandigamalanka, etc. were cut off from the mainland. There is no vehicular movement from those villages. Water entered into Manuguluru and Kovvadalanaka villages.