Fresh floods for Godavari create panic in river bed villages

Many island, tribal villages were cut-off for last 15 days due to Godavari floods

The Godavari, which is in spate at Rajahmundry on Monday. | Photo Credit: G.N. RAO

Fresh floods in Godavari river, occurring for the second time in the last 15 days, have been creating jitters among the residents in the low-lying areas in Eluru and West Godavari districts.

Water level in the Godavari, which touched about 71.90 feet, the highest flood after 1986, inundated over 150 habitations, and over 30,000 families were affected.

About one lakh people were shifted to relief camps and the flood duty officers airdropped food and drinking water to the flood victims in the cut-off villages.

However, some thousands of families are worried as the flood level is rising for the second time in July. In some habitations, relief operations have been continuing, and power supply is not restored to many tribal hamlets in Velerupadu and Kukunur mandals.

“We returned home from relief camps after 10 days. Roads and water tanks are filled with slush and the houses are damaged. Many household material were washed away. The news of Godavari floods for the second time is a shock for us,” said U. Anasuya of Narsapuram.

“Some hundreds of families were taking shelter in the tents on the hills for the last 15 days. Almost all the electric poles and transformers were inundated in floods and there was no power supply. We depended on the food being supplied in the relief camps. Again water level is on the rise in Godavari creating unrest for us,” said P. Dora Babu of Dacharam village in Eluru district.

West Godavari District Collector P. Prasanthi, who visited the affected villages in Elamanchili, Narsapuram and Achanta mandals, directed the Medical and Health department officials to take up sanitation works on a war-footing.

Eluru District Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh, who interacted with the flood victims staying on the hills at Katukuru and Koida villages, enquired about supply of ration. He said that power would be restored once the flood recede completely.

Polavaram MLA Tellam Balaraju, along with Eluru district Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ravi Kumar and other officers trekked the hills at Katukuru village on Monday. “Relief camps will continue till the situation returns to normal in all the tribal hamlets in the Agency area,” the MLA said and directed the officials to stay alert on the fresh floods for Godavari.