Nellore: Amruth Scheme sanctioned to Nellore city has proved to be a blessing in disguise for civic authorities who had struggled to prevent flooding in the city. In November 2015, the city had been flooded due to heavy rains .
It is more than two years since the district authorities decided to widen the surplus weir connecting Nellore tank with the Pennar river at Pottepalem, 4 km from the city. However, the proposal did not see light of the day, with danger looming large over this cyclone-prone district.
Several areas in the city were under knee-deep water for over 3 days due to heavy discharge from the tank surplus weir of Nellore tank at Moolapeta in the city in 2015.
The major reason for the flooding was illegal residential and commercial constructions on the bunds of the irrigation canals from Nellore tank passing through the town. Excess discharge of water from the surplus weir also contributed to the deluge then.
After taking stock of the situation, urban development department minister P. Narayana directed the irrigation engineers to draft proposals to widen the surplus weir.
Based on his instructions, engineers sent a proposal to Central Designs Organisation few months after the floods.
The city was included in the Centrally-funded Amruth scheme and the tank renovation work at Pottepalem was brought under the scheme.
Executive engineer of irrigation central division department, P. Krishna Kishore said, "The bund strengthening works are under progress at an estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh and an additional Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned to carry out the remaining work pertaining to bund strengthening with an amount of Rs 80 lakh and renovation of surplus weirs with Rs 1.20 crore."
Storage Capacity: 836 mc.ft ( 0.836 tmc.ft)
Length : 6.8 km
Height of the bund: 4.98 meters
Storage Depth: 5 meters
Original Ayacut: 12,000 acres
Free catchment area: 26.75 km
Length of Surplus weir at Pottepalem: 78.8 meters - Discharge : 2783 cusecs
Length of Surplus weir at Moolapeta: 54.9 meters -Discharge: 1390 cusecs
