Rebuilding lives an arduous task for flood-hit

KAKINADA: It is turning out to be an arduous task for people to re-commence their lives in villages they had to leave when floods in River Godavari hit Alluri Seetharama Raju and Eluru districts.

Stench and slush are predominant for residents returning to their villages from rehabilitation centres. All their food grains and other cooking materials have got damaged. Women are finding it difficult to cook, as firewood has become wet. The situation in Koida and Katkuru panchayats and habitations in Velerupadu is worse. People are finding it difficult to bring villages to normalcy.

Eluru collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh and joint collector Arun Babu visited these villages by boats or tractors with great difficulty. While visiting Karturu village by boat, people took them to their village through knee-deep slushy waters. Women of the village complained about the stench and inability to cook as no dry firewood is available.

Prasanna Venkatesh ordered a sprinkling of bleaching powder and pressed tractors to remove the slush. He requested the village youth to come forward and clean their village, assuring that they will be paid for the same. He instructed officials to arrange 50 gas cylinders and stoves within 24 hours and supply rice, vegetables, dal and necessary medicines to these villages.

ASR collector Sumit Kumar and district superintendent of police Satish Kumar visited Chidumuru and Koyyugurru villages in Chinturu mandal. People requested the collector to restore the power supply and make kerosene and essential commodities available. The collector organised a supply of kerosene, necessary essential commodities and candles for these and other villages.

Sumit Kumar said as per a preliminary report, 623 houses have been damaged completely and 343 houses partially. 49 acres of paddy, 2,621 acres of cotton, 20 acres of green gram and black gram crops have been damaged. He instructed officials to complete enumeration of losses quickly.