KURNOOL: Tungabhadra and Handri rivers, KC Canal and Vakkileru Vagu (stream) give protection to Kurnool city from stormwater, but there is no system in place for the smooth discharge of rain water.
Heavy showers in the city turned many roads and circles into water ponds. Nearly eight lakh people are living in Kurnool city in over 50 divisions.
There is no underground drainage system in the city. Many drains are unable to handle the high influx of water after heavy rain. In many places, water from the drains is flowing on the road, throwing normal life out of gear. People passing through Anand cinema complex, Gandhi Nagar and Kids World Park area encounter many problems. In fact, citizens of Kurnool have faced a lot of diffuculties in the floods in 2007 and 2009, but no action was taken till date.
People in the colonies across the old town and Kallur are facing many problems as many are submerged.
According to Kurnool Municipal Corporation Commissioner CB Harinath Reddy, the storm water merges into Rivers Tungabhadra, Handri, KC Canal and Vakkileru Vaagu, which passes through the city, through open drains. “We submitted proposals to construct underground drainage system in the city in 2007 at an estimated cost of `125 crore. It is still pending with the government,” he said.Harinath Reddy said that there was no need to construct storm water ponds if the underground drainage system is completed.