Over 70,000 People Hit By Floods In Andhra Pradesh's Godavari District

The continuing heavy flood in Godavari river affected over 74,000 people in parts of East and West Godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday with nearly 18,000 of them being shifted to relief camps, officials said.

A second warning signal was issued at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram as water flow in the river, which has been in spate since last week following heavy monsoon rains, crossed the 13 lakh cusecs mark on Sunday morning and almost the entire quantum was being let out into the Bay of Bengal. 

However, there were no casualties reported and teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force reached out to the affected areas with essential supplies and food.

All required measures have been taken by the Collectors of these two districts and the situation was under control, the state Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said in a release.

Power supply remained cut off while road and communication network were badly damaged in the two districts, it said.

As per preliminary estimate, damage to roads and other infrastructure was Rs 6.45 crore.

The heavy floods battered at least six mandals in the two districts with the impact more on East Godavari where 52,500 people were affected, the SDMA said adding a total of 21,568 were hit in West Godavari.

In all, people in 280 villages in both the districts were facing the brunt of the flood fury, the authority said. 

The famous Goshpada Kshetram on the banks of Godavari at Kovvuru was inundated, following which temples here were closed.

The water-level touched 29 metres at Polavaram dam construction site, but all access to the project remained cut off as the main approach Kademma sluice bridge submerged. 

For the fifth consecutive day, island villages under Devipatnam mandal of East Godavari district remained in darkness as power supply was cut off.

Consequently, as many as 17,632 people were moved to relief camps where over 35,000 food packets have been distributed for them on Sunday afternoon, the release said.

The Yedduvagu and Siddaramvagu bridges in West Godavari district remain submerged, cutting off transportation to villages in the region.
Rice (25 kg to each affected family), kerosene, edible oil, potatoes and redgram daal have been supplied for the flood victims in the two districts, the SDMA release said.

In West Godavari, officials organised 47 medical camps in the flood-hit areas to prevent outbreak of communicable diseases.

State Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy spoke to Collectors of the Godavari districts and reviewed the situation.