Flood threat looms large over Konaseema villages

Amalapuram(Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema District): While third warning was issued at Bhadrachalam as water level in Godavari has touched 53 feet, second warning was sounded at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (SACB), Dowleswaram and Rajamahendravaram by discharging 15.04 lakh cusecs of water into Bay of Bengal. In case the third warning is issued at SACB, 18 mandals in Konaseema district are likely to be submerged and people have to evacuate.

Road connectivity to P Gannavaram, Ravulapalem, Ayinavilli, Mamidikuduru and other villages in the district was disrupted and roads were damaged due to flood water. In some areas, coconut trees were uprooted owing to winds as well as flood waters.

According to the officials, 163 hectares of paddy was inundated in Lanka villages. Children and senior citizens staying in low-lying areas were deprived of milk and food. They were unable to leave their houses. Cattle was deprived of fodder and they remained in knee-deep waters.

Several schools were submerged in water. There was no power supply in flood-affected villages. Many people refuse to go to rehabilitation centres as they were afraid that thieves may rob their houses. They are spending restless and sleepless nights in their area.

Some flood victims complained that food and milk are not available at rehabilitation centres and they are given only to a few people. They expressed anguish that children and senior citizens were starving as milk and food were not provided to them. They lamented that they have moved away from flood affected houses in the hope that they will get shelter and food.

They requested the District Collector to take steps immediately to provide milk and food to the people at rehabilitation centres.

A farmer, K Sampath Narasimhulu lamented that the unusual floods and rains have damaged nurseries and paddy saplings. He criticised that officials and politicians were remaining as mere spectators and doing little for mitigating the hardship of the farmers.

Sampath said that they cannot invest for a second time on the nurseries that were already damaged. He said that they have already took loans and their investment didn't gave any benefits except tears and added that nobody will come to the rescue for the second plantation.

Speaking with The Hans India, District Revenue Officer (DRO) Ch Sathibabu said that 30 villages in P Gannavaram , Ravulapalem and Ayinavilli mandals were affected by floods. He said that if the water level at Dowleswaram rises on Wednesday night, some more villages are likely to be submerged in the floods. Due to the flood, 163 hectares of paddy was damaged in the district, he added.

The DRO said that people living in low-lying areas should come to rehabilitation centres to protect themselves. He said that the officials have brought cattle on a punt from flood affected Lanka villages to safe places. He said that no casualty was reported so far.

Agriculture Department Joint Director Y Ananda Kumari said that farmers have planted MDU 7029 variety of paddy in 6,500 acres in the district. But floods have submerged 420 acres during the past five days. Nurseries in 170 acres of land were spoiled.

District Collector Himanshu Shukla instructed the officials of rehabilitation centres to provide food to flood victims. He inspected Kesanakurru village in Ainavilli mandal and Pogaku Lanka village in I Polavaram mandal in the district on Wednesday. He interacted with flood victims and told the officials to provide them food as well as shelter in the rehabilitation centres.