Kunavaram badly hit by flood

Rajamahendravaram/ Rampachodavarm: The Godavari flood rose sharply on Wednesday. The flood water coming from the upstream of the catchment area has caused flood. A second warning signal was issued at Dowleswaram Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at 10 am as the flood flow reached 13.75 ft. About 8,800 cusecs are being released to irrigation canals and so far 13,04,890 cusecs of surplus water was released into the sea through the 175 gates. The flood level reached 14.60 ft at 7 pm on Wednesday

The water level at Bhadrachalam, which was 51.90 ft at the second warning level in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, dropped to 49.60 ft in the evening. As the flood recedes in Bhadrachalam, the officials are expecting that it will also recede in Rajahmundry by Thursday morning. Kunavaram Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district has been hit once again due to the flood surge. The traffic has disrupted in about 40 villages in the mandal. The people of Kunavaram area moved to the resettlement camp. Traffic to Telangana via Kunavaram was also stopped. On the Bhadrachalam road, water was flowing over the road in the Polipaka and Kondai Gudem areas. Meanwhile, Godavari flood water is flowing also on roads at Kondraju Peta and Pandrajupalli villages in the Sabari belt.

Local people say that heavy rains and the construction of the Polavaram project are also the reasons for the flood. This is the fourth flood this season in the Alluri district. Godavari flood happened three times and the fourth one was to the Godavari tributary Sabari. The victims are getting frustrated with this. The flood victims staged a dharna for some time on Tuesday evening at the Kunavaram Mandal headquarters saying that the government is not paying attention to them.

Marapaka Srinu, Y Srikanth and M Hemant demanded that their area should be included in the 41st contour of the Polavaram project and provided rehabilitation. Due to incessant rains in Yetapaka Mandal, flood water reached the main road at Rayanapet, Nellipaka and Murumura. Chilli fields in Nellipaka, Golla Gudem, Chodavaram, Thotapalli, and other villages were submerged in flood water.