Tribal areas submerged, people leave for safety

Chinturu, Kunavaram, VR Puram, Yetapaka and Devipatnam mandals of Alluri Sitarama Raju district are facing water logging due to heavy rains in the upper region and severe flood flow into the Sabari tributary and Godavari.

A total of 130 tribal villages in the mandals are suffering due to floods. As the impact of the flood in the agency district is severe, the officials have ordered people of many flood-affected villages to vacate their houses and go to relief camps immediately.

The floodwater inundated roads at Gundala village Murumuru. Ramayampeta Gundala in Yetapaka mandal submerged in flood water. Near Annavaram of VR Puram mandal, the hill stream is flowing fiercely.

Roads were cut off in many places and traffic was stopped. Flood water is flowing at a height of four feet on the Kunavaram-Bhadrachalam main road. The road leading to Thotapalli near the Nellipaka suburb petrol bunk is completely submerged.

At the confluence of Sabari and Godavari in Kunavaram, the water level was 50 feet on Thursday evening. Godavari’s water level at Chinturu is 38 feet.

Three rehabilitation centres have been set up in Kunavaram mandal, two in Chinturu, one in Yetapaka, and one in VR Puram. As many as 300 families have taken shelter at the Kothulagutta Rehabilitation Centre and 200 families at the Rekhapalli Rehabilitation Centre as per official records. There is no way to go to many tribal villages as the roads are submerged and covered by flood water and streams.

Flood water entered Udayabhaskara Colony in Kunavaram. People moved to safe places.

Gonduru village in Devipatnam mandal was submerged in water. Electric poles and trees are seen in this village. Talluru village is also stuck in a water blockade. Around 120 families living in these two villages moved to hills. Polavaram of Rampachodavaram mandal, the raging Sitapalli stream is frightening. The overflow of the stream fell on lower areas. Roads are submerged in some places.

Officials say that NDRF and SDRF teams are ready to participate in flood relief operations. The officials of the concerned department have appealed to the people of Kunavaram and VR Puram mandals to be alert who go fishing and for wood, as there is a power supply in the power lines. Motorboats will not go under power lines without the permission of the police department, they said.