AP: Body recovered of girl swept away in floodwater; local MLA faces ire of villagers

Krishna: The body of a 12-year-old girl who was swept away in floodwater after her boat capsized in Chevitikallu village was found on Saturday morning.

Yesterday, a country boat with six persons onboard turned upside down due to the gushing floodwater. Five persons were able to escape while the 12-year-old girl, identified as Tulasi Priya was washed away.

The girl's body has been sent to Nandigama government hospital for a post mortem.

Earlier in the day, Nandigama Assembly constituency legislator M Jaganmohan Rao had to face the ire of the villagers while visiting the area to take stock of relief operations.

The local legislator was confronted by the villagers on the case of the missing girl.

The villagers alleged that precautionary measures in the village were insufficient and there were not adequate transportation facilities for shifting villagers to rehabilitation centres.

Expressing their concerns, one of the villagers said, "We were told about buses being made available for shifting us to the rehabilitation centre. We informed the administration about increasing flood water and urged for immediate arrangements for relocation. But a boat came in the morning with no life jackets."

The MLA, visiting the area attempted to explain the flood relief arrangements to the locals, however, a verbal altercation ensued after villagers expressed discontent over the same.

The villagers also claimed to have called and apprised the state Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita about the situation.

"We are not against the government but we are simply asking about lacuna in the rescue and rehabilitation process", a villager added.

Normal life has come to a standstill after water entered the low-lying areas in Krishna district owing to heavy rainfall in the region.