Flood water stagnated on the road in the Agency area in Eluru district on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
Around 24 habitations have been affected in Velerupadu and Kukunur mandals of Eluru district following incessant rains and floods. Nearly 5,000 people have been affected and about 800 shifted to relief camps.
According to officials, rainwater was overflowing in about 90 places snapping road connections to the nearby villages in the Agency areas.
Floodwater entered Medepalli, Koya Madhavaram, Ramavaram, Alluri Nagar and other villages. The Konda Vaagu, Yeddu Vaagu, Pedda Vaagu and other streams were in spate due to heavy rains in their catchment areas.
Flood level in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam was 34.9 feet and is rising. Due to incessant rains in the upstream at Peruru, Eturunagaram, and Dummugudem areas, flood level might rise further by Saturday night, Central Water Commission (CWC) officials said.
Communication cut-off
Many villages were under knee-deep water in Alluri Nagar, Velerupadu, Koya Madhavaram, Medepalli, Kukunur and other villages and transportation has been cut off. Trees were uprooted and power supply was affected due to the flash floods in the tribal habitations.
District Collector Vetri Selvi K. said that 20 pregnant women, lactating women and sick patients, confined to bed, were shifted to the relief camps. She directed the officials to make all arrangements at the relief camps.
“Special officers should stay in the villages, supply food, groceries, milk, drinking water and other essentials to the residents in the flood-ravaged habitations,” Ms. Vetri Selvi said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inquired with the Eluru district officers on the flood situation in the Agency villages and directed them to take steps to prevent human and animal loss, the Collector said.
Minister visits houses
Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy, along with MLAs Chirri Bala Raju, Chintamaneni Prabhakar, Songa Roshan Kumar, Joint Collector B. Lavanya Veni and other officers visited the houses of the flood victims in Velerupadu and Kukunur mandals on Saturday, and interacted with the residents.
Later, the Minister reviewed the flood situation with Revenue, Medical and Health, Irrigation, Police, Panchayat Raj, Fisheries, Women Development and Child Welfare, AP State Disaster Response and Fire Services and other departments.
Mr. Parthasarathy directed the Medical and Health officials to set up medical camps in the flood-affected habitations and distribute medicines.
Discharge from Polavaram
The Irrigation department officials released about 4.8 lakh cusecs from Polavaram project, and the discharge from Godavari River at Bhadrachalam was about 4.7 lakh cusecs.
Many mandals in the district received good rainfall in the last 24 hours. Nuzvid received the highest of 98.6 mm rainfall, followed by Lingapalem 79.4 mm, Velerupadu 79, Pedavegi 78, Chatrai 67 and Kamavarapukota 62.4 mm.
