Officials alerted on flood threat

Eluru/ Kakinada: Minister for women and child welfare and mining and geology Peethala Sujatha directed the officials to evacuate the people living in vulnerable areas to safety as the Godavri river is rising alarmingly in West Godavari.

The minister called up the West Godavari collector K. Bhaskar over phone from Hyderabad on Monday and inquired about the steps being taken up in the wake of the floods to Godavari river.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that transportation was affected at 28 tribal villages in Polavaram mandal and instructed the officials to provide esse-ntial commodities to the marooned villagers. She asked the officials to identify the people living in low-lying areas along the course of the river from Polavaram to Narasapuram and shift them to safety and shelter and relief material to them at relief centres .

She said that the second warning level was already issued at Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram and added that as it was forecast that the water level is likely to rise further in the next 24 hours, the district administration should be ready to face any eventuality.

Meanwhile Deputy Chief Minister and minister for home N. Chinarajappa stated that the state government was prepared to face the Godavari floods and provide relief to the affected people. Speaking to newsmen here on Monday, Mr China-rajappa  said that directions were issued to the officials to act promptly to identify the people living in vulnerable areas including the islands and evacuate them to safe places and provide them relief.

He called upon the people living in islands to cooperate with the officials and move to the relief centres.

Responding to a query on whether the weak flood banks of Godavari river could sustain the heavy floods, the Dy CM said that the district administration had identified such flood banks and was taking steps by placing the sand bags to avoid any possible breach.

East Godavari administration has evacuated as many as 250 villagers to safety following heavy floods to Godavari. Collector Neetu Kumari Prasad said here on Monday that the villagers from vulnerable areas and islands were shifted to relief centres and were being provided with food and water. Medical camps are also being set up to provide medical and health care to the people at various places, she informed.