Yeleru dam swells: Breaches occur in 8 places, 25 villages encircled in waters
KAKINADA: Officials on Tuesday released a huge quantity of floodwaters from the Yeleru Reservoir. Many villages were inundated and breaches occurred at eight places including Gorrikhandi, the reservoir’s main canal, reports said on Tuesday. As many as 6500 areas in 25 villages were encircled by the waters and many roads were closed for traffic. The national highway between Pithapuram and Chebrolu via Gollaprolu Tollplaza was inundated with more than knee-deep water.
The SDRF, NDRF, Indian Army and local police escorted the people out of the floodwaters in many places. They curbed the traffic movement for small vehicles on the highway. Only heavy vehicles were permitted to travel by the road.
Rescue teams were being alerted from time to time to render assistance where necessary. Many fields were submerged. Roads and fields have turned into lakes. The Kirlampudi mandal was a major victim as many of the low-lying areas were submerged.
Three youths narrowly escaped drowning. Shortly after B Siva, S Siva and R Durga Prasad came to the Gorrikhandi main canal near Raparthi village to watch the floods, a breach to the canal occurred. The three were caught in the floodwaters. However, the locals swiftly rendered assistance and they managed to swim ashore to safety.
Rajupalem, Raparthi, Prathipadu and other villages remained cut off and transport services to main villages stopped.
Kakinada district collector Sagili Shanmohan said 6513 areas were inundated. Some 3116 families out of the 3,155 affected were evacuated and shifted to safer places in 35 rehabilitation centres. He said the 33/11 Kv sub-stations at Veeravaram and Samalkot and APTIDCO sub-stations were inundated. The power supply was restored by diverting the power connections through 11KV lines.
The collector said the 11KV AB switch construction collapsed at Krishnavaram and alternative arrangements were made. Some 17 electrical poles in agriculture fields and 11 distribution centres, 1.2km of the 11KV conductor etc were damaged.
Some 1764 non-agriculture services have been affected, but the 1502 services have been restored. Officials have made breaches in some places in Yeleru canals to divert the flow of floodwaters into the colonies. They have strengthened the bunds with sand bags.
The collector said breaches were plugged at Rajupalem village in Kirlampudi, Chidiga village in Kakinada Rural mandal, Nagulapalli in U Kothapalli mandal, G Ragampeta village in Peddapuram mandal and G Kothapalli in Sankhavaram mandal. The West Yeleru left drain breach has been successfully plugged at 6.300km.
Sanitation personnel in other areas have come to Kakinada and Peddapuram divisions to expedite the works. Water Resources superintendent Srinivasa Rao said the floods were receding in Yeleru and the region would be back to normal by Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, West Godavari district collector Nagarani said a second warning may be issued by midnight Tuesday at Dowleswaram. She instructed the irrigation department to strengthen the weakened bunds with sand bags. She cautioned the people of nearby villages of Vasishta Godavari about the floods to Godavari.
Joint collector Rahul Kumar Reddy advised officials to enumerate the losses for various departments.
Eluru Collector Vetri Selvi visited Thotakuragommu and other villages in Velerupadu mandal and reviewed the flood relief works. She asked the officials to urgently shift pregnant women, children and old-age people to safer places. Housing minister Partha Saradhi visited the villages of Musunuru mandal.