Now, Godavari Rising; People Being Evacuated

Kakinada: With water levels in Godavari rising, Eluru collector K. Vetri Selvi has ordered district officials to start evacuating people living in low-lying areas along the course of the river to safer places. The level of Godavari at Bhadrachalam had reached 38.50 feet at Bhadrachalam by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The river is expected to rise further.

The collector asked officials to shift old people, pregnant women and children to rehabilitation centres on top priority before the Godavari levels rise to the first warning level. She wanted essential commodities kept ready at the rehabilitation centres, apart from matchboxes, candles, mosquito coils and other requirements.

Vetri Selvi underlined that fishermen should be prevented from venturing into the river. People should not be allowed to the river ghats as a precautionary step.

Heavy rains have filled several reservoirs like Tammileru, Yerra Kalva, Yeleru, Pampa and Tandava. Many of the agricultural fields are still inundated, leaving farmers in distress. The storage in Yeleru reservoir has reached 20 TMCs out of its total capacity 24 TMCs. Officials have decided to discharge waters as heavy rains have been forecast on September 7 and September 8.

Civil supplies officials of Kakinada district have sent 90,000 food packets to NTR district, so that they can be distributed to people who have been evacuated to various rehabilitation centres. Authorities of Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram sent to the district 10,000 packets of yellow rice by a special bus.

On a call given by Kakinada district collector S. Shanmohan, Kakinada District Rice Millers Association and other organisations donated ₹7 lakh for providing relief to flood victims.

AP NGOs Association, Eluru branch, donated ₹1,00,115 to flood victims through district collector Vetri Selvi. Eluru Rice Millers Association sent 20,000 food packets and 10,000 water bottles to the flood-affected victims in NTR district.