High alert as areas along Krishna face flooding

Vijayawada: Krishna district administration is on high alert with the Krishna river floodwaters may cross nine lakh cusecs by Friday night. Due to the impact of heavy rains in the catchment areas of Krishna basin, the floodwater inflows and outflows continue for the past few days in Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam and Pulichintala reservoirs. Consequently, Prakasam barrage is receiving more than 7 lakh cusecs of flood water for the last two days and flood water levels may increase to nine lakh cusecs by Friday night.

All 18 mandals along the Krishna river from Jaggaiahpet to Nagayalanka upstream and downstream of Prakasam barrage are on high alert. Revenue and police officials are monitoring the situation in the low-lying areas particularly in the Divi Seema region and Jaggaiahpet, Ibrahimpatnam, Nandigama and Kanchikacharlamandals upstream of Prakasam barrage. Some colonies in Vijayawada downstream of Prakasam barrage already affected and more than 1500 people evacuated and shifted to IGMC stadium and other relief camps set up by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in the city. The VMC arranged food and other essential facilities to the flood victims.

On the other hand, three NDRF and SDRF teams are kept ready in Vijayawada, Thotlavallur and Nandigama for attending emergency cases. Floodwater levels are in the danger levels in scores of villages and habitations in Divi Seema region. The district administration has evacuated over 300 people from the low-lying areas to the safer places. Krishna district police under the supervision of superintendent of police M Ravindranath Babu are closely monitoring the floodwater levels and alerting the people in the low-lying areas and Lanka villages in Divi Seema.

District collector Md Imtiaz visited Chandarlapadu and Ibrahimpatnammandals on Friday and spoke to the local residents. He instructed the officials to be on high alert as floodwater levels will increase to nine lakh cusecs by Friday night. Collector has been monitoring the relief and evacuation operations for the last few days.