Penna river bund strengthening works moving at fast pace, says Kovur MLA

Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy announced that the Penna river bund strengthening works were moving at a fast pace. In view of the heavy rains that lashed SPSR Nellore district over the past few days, the MLA embarked on a visit to the fields abutting the river’s embankment near Nidimusali village in Indukurpet mandal on Friday.

She instructed the Irrigation officials to hasten the process of constructing high quality embankment structures alongside the river to prevent losses to farmers during floods. The MLA also interacted with the villagers and learnt about the hardships faced by them during the the previous floods.

Following cyclone alerts issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), she asked the authorities to maintain high vigil along the coast in the constituency to minimise loss of lives and property. She appealed to the fishermen to suspend fishing activities and reach the shore immediately.

Speaking to the media, Ms. Prasanthi Reddy explained that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had sanctioned funds for temporary repairs of the Penna river bunds. She added that the Chief Minister had also directed the officials to complete the sanctioned works on a priority basis, in view of the rising inflows from Somasila reservoir that led to a release of close to one lakh cusecs into the river.

She also warned that the officials in charge of the project that they would be held responsible for any flooding arising in future due to poor quality of work.

Grief expressed

The MLA, along with Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy and Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, visited Dagadarthi to console the bereaved family of TDP State vice-president and Andhra Pradesh Agro Industries Development Corporation Chairman Malepati Subbanaidu, who passed away recently. The leaders offered floral tributes to the portraits of Malepati Subbanaidu and his son Malepati Bhanu Chander.