Army, NDRF ramp up rescue operations in Kakinada dist

Kakinada: Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the rescue and relief operations in the Pithapuram constituency in Kakinada district on Tuesday as heavy rains inundated villages and damaged crops over thousands of acres.

The Army relief column, deployed in flood-hit Vijayawada for the last few days, has moved to Kakinada district.

Two teams of NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were also deployed in Kakinada district.

Eight mandals in Kakinada district were flooded due to heavy rains over the last two days. Breach to the Eleru canal near Rajupalem village after the opening of the gates of Yeleswaram reservoir caused the flooding.

Agriculture crops over thousands of acres in the district were damaged. Agriculture fields in Yeleswaram, Kirlampudi, Peddapuram, Gollaprolu and Pithapuram mandals were inundated.

Farmlands on both sides of Gollaprulu-Pithapuram national highway were submerged. SC Peta in Rajupalem of Kirlampudi Mandal also remained inundated.

The flood level slightly receded in Yeleswaram reservoir on Tuesday. The water storage in the reservoir was 23 tmc ft against its full capacity of 24.11 tmc ft. The inflow in the reservoir was 30,000 cusecs while the outflow was 22,000 cusecs.

In the East Godavari district, nine villages were inundated due to a breach of a canal in Srinrangapatnam. Water entered the houses, damaging household belongings. Affected people fear that the situation may get worse if the flow increases from upstream.

Meanwhile, the overflowing Eleru canal has damaged the Anakapalli-Visakhapatnam highway, disrupting the traffic.