VIJAYAWADA
The Andhra Pradesh High Court has posted the hearing of a PIL filed by BJP leader N. Ramesh Naidu seeking action against the officials responsible for the breach of the Annamayya Dam in Kadapa district and adequate compensation to the victims, to April 6.
In his petition, Mr. Naidu alleged that inaction of the respondents —Chief Secretary of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Principal Secretaries (Water Resources, and Revenue), Kadapa Collector and Rajampet RDO—in identifying the officials whose alleged failure had led to the disaster was illegal.
Mr. Naidu said that the Annamayya Dam could not hold the water that overflowed from Pincha Dam for long and developed a major breach that caused submergence of 10 villages and damage of crops.
‘Man-made mistake’ caused the breach which killed at least 33 people and destroyed residential and agricultural property, he alleged.
The time taken for the flood water to reach the Annamayya project from Pincha Dam was seven hours, but the government had failed to alert the people of five villages. As a consequence, these villages were swept away, the petitioner alleged.
