Bhadrachalam remained safe during the recent massive floods in Godavari as the two-decade-old karakattta (flood bank) constructed abutting the Godavari in the temple town by the then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, with a long-term vision, acting as a shield against the rising waters, said TDP national president and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu.
The karakatta built by us more than 20 years ago acted as a wall of defence during the unprecedented floods in the Godavari earlier this month, he noted while interacting with several denizens of the temple town during his visit to the karakatta in Bhadrachalam on Friday morning. Later he left for a tour of the flood-affected areas in Alluri Sitarama Raju district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Naidu was offered a rousing welcome by the local TDP cadres on his arrival in the temple town around Thursday midnight. After his overnight stay in Bhadrachalam, Mr. Naidu offered special prayers at the historic Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple on Friday morning.
He visited karakatta, where he interacted with people, who thronged the flood bank to greet him.
Speaking to mediapersons, Mr. Naidu recalled that he had visited Bhadrachalam during the 1986 flood devastation as general secretary of the TDP during the former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao’s regime.
Moved by the plight of flood-affected people, we had subsequently constructed the karakatta with the World Bank aid, creating a flood protection mechanism for the temple town, he added. It is heartening to note that people are acknowledging the concrete flood protection measures we took then with a futuristic vision, he said, adding that good works always remain etched in the hearts of people forever.
“People are recalling the concrete development works done by me wherever I go in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” he said, asserting that he had developed Hyderabad as a IT hub and also contributed his mite to the development of remote areas in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during his tenures as chief minister in the past.
Responding to a query, he said the onus of constructing karakattas in the flood prone areas, including the five gram panchayats, lies on the government, which has to find a lasting solution to the recurring flood woes of people.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Naidu.
TDP leaders from Khammam met Mr. Naidu in the temple town and urged him to hold a public meeting in Khammam, the erstwhile bastion of the TDP, to revive the past glory of the party.
