Andhra’s Deputy CM reviews flood situation in Eluru district

Amaravati, Sep 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday reviewed the flood situation in Eluru district while the rising water levels in the Godavari River prompted authorities to issue a danger alert at Dowleswaram Cotton Barrage. Rajahmundry District Collector, P Prasanthi said that as Godavari River is in spate people in areas along the river banks have been alerted. The irrigation officials were releasing 13 lakh cusecs of water downstream. People have been cautioned against going into the river for bathing while fishermen have also been warned against venturing into the river. The authorities have also advised people not to immerse Ganesh idols in the river for the next 48 hours as the river is in spate. They have been urged to postpone the immersion. Dy CM Pawan Kalyan spoke to Eluru District Collector K Vetri Selvi over the phone to review the flood situation in the district. The District Collector informed him that due to heavy rains upstream, Eluru and Thandava reservoirs received huge inflows and as a result crops over 62,000 acres in the district were submerged. Breaches and overflowing of canals led to the inundation of roads, affecting the movement of vehicles in the Pithapuram and Peddapuram constituencies. Traffic came to a halt on Pithapuram-Raparthi, Peddapuram-Gudivada and Samarlakota-Pithapuram roads. As the flood water was overflowing the national highway at Gollaprolu, vehicular traffic was diverted. The Collector informed the Deputy CM that boats and rescue teams were pressed into service for rescue and relief operations in the affected areas. The Collector said the intensity of floods in Eluru reservoir was receding. The inflows on Wednesday morning came down to 12,567 cusecs. The storage in the reservoirs stood at 22.16 TMC against its full capacity of 24.11 TMC. The authorities have opened four gates of the reservoir. Pawan Kalyan directed that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army teams be used for rescue and relief works in the affected areas. He also asked officials to provide food, drinking water, milk and other essentials to people in the flood-hit areas. He said the officials should speak to farmers affected by the floods and assure them that the government will extend all possible help to them. –