Low Bhadrachalam-Sarapaka bund height causing floods
District administration too has failed in reaching out to flood-affected people
BHADRACHALAM: Increasing the height of bund on both sides of River Godavari is imperative if flooding of Bhadrachalam temple town on one side and Sarapaka on the other is to be avoided.
There are already fears of flood water overflowing the 75-feet-high bund and flooding Bhadrachalam. Several of the town’s areas are already under water. Flood water has spread over a square kilometre on the Sarapaka side.
B. Sankar Reddy, a social activist, said: “There is need to increase height of the bund on both sides of River Godavari for safety of people in Bhadradri district. Both state and central governments must evolve a plan for it.”
There is also need to have well-established plan for pumping out rain or flood waters into the river. Authorities of the temple town have failed in this regard over the years.
People of Bhadrachalam are also complaining that the district administration and town authorities have failed in dealing with the present floods. There are allegations that officials have not been prompt in evacuating people to safe places. People had not even been warned about the floods through public announcements.
There are also complaints about hygiene at relief centres. Even quality of food being distributed to people housed in the centres is bad, said K Ellaiah, who is staying at a relief camp in in Bhadrachalam.