Indian Army HADR Operations Address Critical Breaches In Vijayawada Flood Zones

The Indian Army’s HADR operations team has been actively managing the situation in Vijayawada after breaches were detected at three different locations. The first two breaches, named Breach 1 and Breach 2, each spanning 10-15 metres in width, were temporarily sealed by the civil administration, providing a momentary stabilisation of the situation.

Amaravati: The Indian Army Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations column has been proactively addressing the situation in Vijayawada following breaches in three locations. The initial breaches, identified as Breach 1 and Breach 2, each ranging from 10-15 metres in width have been temporarily plugged by the civil administration stabilising the situation momentarily.

However, this temporary solution has led to a funneling effect increasing the water flow significantly at the third breach site, which spans approximately 80-100 metres. The water current at this location is currently between 6 and 8 knots with projections suggesting it might escalate to 10-12 knots.

To counter this, the team plans to employ a robust two-layer strategy using Gabion baskets, each measuring 5x2x2 metres. These baskets will be stacked atop one another and filled with stones to fortify the breach. Following the placement of the Gabion baskets, a protective bund reaching up to four metres in height will be constructed accompanied by necessary earthwork to support the outer side of the baskets.

Furthermore, the fabrication of these Gabion baskets is underway using local resources at the site for immediate deployment. Additionally, trials will also include the use of HESCO baskets filled with sandbags to evaluate their effectiveness in this scenario. The Army HADR operations team is fully committed to mitigating the impact of this breach and will continue to undertake preemptive measures.