Amaravati Hit by Fresh Floods After Overnight Rains in Andhra

Overnight rains in Amaravati have once again inundated the capital city. Massive pumps have been deployed to remove water from trenches where the foundations for the new High Court and General Administration Department (GAD) buildings are to be laid. This has once again raised questions about the feasibility of developing Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

It was only on May 2 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-launched works for the Amaravati capital project during a massive public event. The untimely rains have led to the inundation of key project sites just as construction activity was set to pick up pace.

Concerns about flood threats in Amaravati—given its proximity to the River Krishna—are not new. During the unprecedented rains of 2024, when large parts of Vijayawada were severely flooded, Amaravati was affected as well. However, the Chandrababu Naidu-led government, in its typical style, dismissed such reports as political propaganda. As investor confidence in Chandrababu Naidu’s vision began to wane, the Chief Minister organized the Amaravati Drone Festival in a bid to manufacture buzz around the capital city.

At some level, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu appears aware of the flood threat to Amaravati’s development. In this context, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) has drawn up a flood management plan. Proposals include expanding the Kondaveeti Vagu and Palavagu drains, establishing pumping stations, and executing other flood mitigation works at an estimated cost of ₹2,603 crore.