Orange Alert Sounded for ASR District

 Visakhapatnam: The Cyclone Warning Centre here has sounded an orange alert for Kunavaram mandal in ASR district as the water level was rising in River Godavari on Friday.

Officials were put on high alert and district collector Finesh Kumar visited the Kunavaram area and took stock of the situation. “The water level rose at Kunavaram to 47 feet and it might go further. The situation is not alarming. The level in Sabari river has come down to normal,’’ he told Deccan Chronicle.

Some 126 villages were affected by floods. Of these, 83 were submerged and 50 completely cut off.

ITDA project officer Paderu V. Abhishek said that in Paderu division, Munchingput, Peda Bayulu and G Madugula were badly affected. In all, some 100 villages were affected due to the weeklong rains.

He said several causeways were overflowing and some of the smaller bridges were washed away.

“We have dispatched Sachivalayam staff to interior villages to alert the people and ask them to remain indoors till the water recedes. We have given August month’s ration to all the residents along with vegetables and edible oil.”

“We have also declared a holiday for schools and Anganwadis on Friday and Saturday,’’ the collector said.

Joint collector of ASR district Abhishek Goud said medical camps were set up in flood- affected villages and a sanitation drive was on to prevent seasonal diseases. He visited several flood hit villages and interacted with the villagers.

Meanwhile, the weather office forecast squally winds with speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph in coastal areas till July 30. During the last 24 hours, Balijipeta in Parvathipuram Manyam district received 3.7cm of rainfall.