Villager swept away as Godavari floods affect 10,000 in Eluru district
Nearly 10,000 people in 31 villages, mostly tribal habitations, have been affected by the Godavari floods in Eluru district. The Godavari touched 56.10 feet at
Nearly 10,000 people in 31 villages, mostly tribal habitations, have been affected by the Godavari floods in Eluru district. The Godavari touched 56.10 feet at Bhadrachalam on Saturday, prompting the issuance of the third flood warning. A 32-year-old man, N. Prasad, of Tekuru village was washed away while attempting to cross the overflowing Yedduvaagu on a low-level causeway on Friday night. Prasad, who was returning from a weekly shandy, reportedly tried to cross the causeway between Yedavalli and Bollapalli villages when he was swept away by the strong current. Velerupadu Sub-Inspector P. Naveen Kumar said police personnel, along with teams from the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were searching for the missing man.
Eluru District Collector K. Vetri Selvi, who visited the flood-hit villages, appealed to people not to cross swollen streams or submerged causeways and urged them to cooperate with officials engaged in relief operations. Tribals move to hills Flood-affected residents of Rudramkota, Tatakurugommu, Katukuru, Tekuru, Koida, Vinjaram, Koundanya Mukthi, Tekupalli, Narlavaram, Tirumalapuram, Kannayigutta, Repakagommu and other habitations have been shifted to relief camps, Joint Collector M. J. Abhishek Gowda, who monitored the relief operations on Saturday, said. The Kondareddy and Koya tribal communities in Perantallapalli, Kakisanuru, Taduvai and a few other habitations moved to nearby hilltops on their own, while officials shifted the remaining residents to relief camps at Dacharam, Shivakasipuram and the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayam, Jangareddygudem Revenue Divisional Officer J.
V. Ramana said. District Medical and Health Officer U. Shobha and DRDA Project Director Vijaya Lakshmi said medical camps had been set up at the relief centres and that milk, biscuits, drinking water and other essential supplies were being distributed to the evacuees. Seven NDRF teams deployed NDRF 10th Battalion Deputy Commandant (Operations) Sukhendu Datta said one team each had been deployed in Eluru, Amalapuram and Rajamahendravaram for relief and rescue operations. In addition, four teams have been deployed in Mulugu, Bhadrachalam, Khammam and Nirmal districts in Telangana, NDRF Commandant V. V. N. Prasanna Kumar said. Polavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Jaya Krishna said boating in the Godavari had been suspended and patrolling along the river bund intensified as a precaution.
The BriefWire