In early September 2024, Vijayawada, a city in Andhra Pradesh, India, experienced severe flooding triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall that began on August 31, 2024.

The Budameru Rivulet, which flows through Vijayawada, plays a crucial role in draining the basin between the Godavari and Krishna Rivers into Kolleru Lake.

[3] Historically, this rivulet has been prone to overflowing, leading to the construction of a diversion canal designed to redirect its flow into the Krishna River from Velagaleru village, situated 15 km from the city.

Key factors contributing to the disaster include the heavy rainfall, which exceeded expected levels, and climate change, which has led to increasingly severe weather events.

Due to continuous heavy rainfall, the river saw record inflows, with the Prakasam Barrage discharging a staggering 1.18 million cusecs of water, the highest in its 70-year history.

The barrage’s total capacity of 11.9 lakh cusecs was overwhelmed, leading to the temporary suspension of vehicle and pedestrian movement across the structure for safety reasons.

The floods inundated low-lying residential areas in Vijayawada and several villages downstream, causing significant damage to infrastructure, homes and agricultural land.

The restoration process involved immediate measures to plug the breaches in the Budameru Diversion Channel (BDC), with significant support from local authorities, the Water Resources Department, and the Indian Army.

To prevent future incidents, an additional layer of the bund was constructed with a gap of 4 meters, filled with black cotton soil, and reinforced using concrete mettle and geotextile technology.

[16] Despite the challenges of heavy seepage in the repaired areas, the authorities successfully fortified the bund, shifting their focus to expanding Kolleru outlets to ensure the safe drainage of surplus water.

[17] Despite challenges like heavy seepage in the repaired areas, the authorities successfully fortified the bund and shifted their focus to expanding Kolleru outlets to ensure the effective drainage of surplus water.

This initiative also involves enhancing the flood discharge capacity of the diversion channel, constructing a 20 TMC ft reservoir downstream of the Pulichintala project, and conducting a clean-up drive to remove fish tanks and restore the contours of Kolleru.

[18] A comprehensive survey was planned to identify and remove encroachments along the river, aiming to mitigate future risks and protect the region from similar disasters.