100 Villages in Merged Mandals Cut Off Due to Godavari Floods

KAKINADA: More than 100 villages in merged mandals have been badly hit by the Godavari floods. Floodwaters marooned three villages --Kunavaram and Tekulabore (kunavaram mandal) and Vaddigudem (VR Puram mandal).

The inhabitants of these villages vacated their homes and shifted their belongings to safer places in the past three weeks; and the last lot of them on Thursday night. The villages were now in four-feet deep floodwaters.

The villages of Kunavaram, Tekulaboru, Sabari Kothagudem, Konarajupeta Tallagudem etc were the worst-hit. Nearly 30 villages in Kunavaram mandal, 30 villages in VR Puram of ASR district, 10 in Kukkunuru and 25 in Velerupadu of Eluru district remained cut off as the road connectivity was snapped due to the flooding.

These people reached the nearby hillock areas and spent sleepless nights in darkness. They are also suffering from mosquito menace and presence of vicious insects and snakes in their new surroundings.

The people of Velerupadu mandal took shelter at Sivakasipuram, Bhudevipeta, Kuchirala Colony, Gurrapogu, Bandlaboru and other villages on their own. More than 600 inhabitants of Vaddigudem left the village for safer places by walking through the floodwaters along with their belongings, as heavy inflows from Sabari river reached the merged mandals.

Alluri Sitarama Raju district collector Sumit Gandhi arranged two launches for each mandal for transportation of the affected people and for supply of essential commodities.

Vaddigudem’s inhabitants have been given shelter at Rekapalli village. The main road between Murumuru and Polipaka was inundated and road transportation suspended between Nellipaka and Phirayigudem of Yetapaka mandal.

The Eluru collector Prasanna Venkatesh visited Velerupadu mandal and observed the flood situation. He inspected the drinking water borewells at Dacharam R&R colony and the functioning of modern boats. The floods inundated the main roads between Dacharam and Kukkunuru.

The collector said the flood situation might worsen due to the heavy rains at the upper reaches in Maharashtra and Telangana states. He said road transportation for 16 villages to Kodia and Katkuru areas remained snapped. The district administration would supply essential commodities to the flood victims for three months.

The collector asked the officials to supply candles and battery lights. Health officials should be made available medicines and injections for various illnesses and also for  treating the snake bite victims. Medical kits for testing dengue and Malaria infections would also be kept in readiness in these areas.

He said medical camps are being arranged in the rehabilitation shelters and colonies and a medical officer would be available in every camp.

The road has been damaged between Kannayyagutta and Narlavaram villages. Joint Collector B. Lavanya said the road has been damaged at Repakagommu village and the people of the village would be shifted to safer places.