Tadepalli, August 20: YSRCP constituency coordinators Ambati Muralikrishna (Ponnur), Donthireddy Vemareddy (Mangalagiri), and Diamond Babu (Tadikonda) strongly condemned the government’s intimidation tactics of filing cases against those exposing Amaravati’s flooding.
Speaking at the YSRCP headquarters, the leaders asked: “If speaking truth is a crime, will the government now file cases against Minister Narayana too, for admitting that the Vijayawada Western Bypass had to be cut open to release floodwater?”
They noted that Amaravati has remained waterlogged for a week, proving the state’s failure in water management. Minister Narayana himself acknowledged that a 24-meter breach was made on the Western Bypass after floodwater stagnated for days. Despite pumping operations, CRDA officials were forced to create diversions, yet inundation continued unchecked.
Ambati Muralikrishna highlighted that Kondaveeti Vagu and the Guntur Channel are directly linked, and floodwaters were diverted into them, inundating 31,000 acres across Ponnur, Mangalagiri, and Tadikonda. Villages such as Namburu, Kakani, Chilumuru, and Vadlamudi witnessed unprecedented flooding in 40 years. He warned that without widening Kondaveeti Vagu and strengthening its four feeder streams like Yerra Vagu, Kotella Vagu, Pala Vagu, and Ayya Vagu, Amaravati will remain vulnerable. “A capital cannot stand on drowned fields and marooned villages. Before raising towers, fix the drainage,” he asserted.
Diamond Babu reminded that the 28,000 farmers who gave land for the capital are still waiting for return plots. Instead of delivering on promises, the government is using propaganda and filing cases. He cited expert warnings from the Sivaramakrishnan Committee, GN Rao Committee, Boston Consulting Group, and even the World Bank against unplanned construction in the flood-prone zone. “These were ignored, and today’s crisis is the result,” he said.
Donthireddy Vemareddy clarified that YSRCP is not opposing Amaravati, but only demanding accountability. “Exposing water management failures is a responsibility, not politics. The government must publish a White Paper on Kondaveeti Vagu, contour levels, and drainage diversions. Hiding behind lies will not solve floods; only proper planning will,” he said.
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