KAKINADA: The flood-affected people in Chinturu Agency area and islet villages as also in Konaseema district are groping and in darkness for the past 10 days as there was no possibility of restoration of power yet.
Water levels receded in Tekulabore and Kunavaram villages in ASR district but the overall situation in the villages was worse. Utensils, vehicles, bags etc were seen scattered all over the place. There was poor sanitation and the villages have turned muddy.
When the Rampachodavaram MLA Nagulapalli Dhanalakshmi went to the Kothulagutta rehabilitation centre in Kunavaram mandal, the people gharaoed her. As the people surrounded her, she suffocated and vomited.
The flood victims demanded that the MLA take steps to complete the R&R package and construct R&R Colonies so that they could go there. They expressed dissatisfaction about giving an assistance of only Rs 2,000 to the flood victims.
Previously, the state government sanctioned Rs 33 crore to set up a 22/33 KV sub-station at Chinturu in ASR district. But, the work remains incomplete. The flood victims say that if it had been completed, the officials could have given power supply to even the rehabilitation centres as the electric poles were set in their vicinity.
They requested the officials to complete the sub-station immediately.
Meanwhile, the flood special officer to ASR district Karthikeya Misra said the officials were now giving preference to restoration of traffic and improving the sanitation in four mandals of Chinturu Agency.
He said that 200 sanitation workers were being brought to the agency from the Konaseema area for this purpose and to pull out the mud that got piled up in the villages. This would be done with the help of fire tenders after the floodwater completely receded.
He said that in order to prevent the outbreak of diseases, mobile medical facilities would be provided in the villages for a week by deploying eight medical officers. The 104 medical services were already available.
He said the kidney patients are being given dialysis services by making use of generators in the hospitals.
The second warning at Bhadrachalam may be lifted by Tuesday night. Food and water packets have been supplied to 8,500 flood victims at Chinarkuru, Pedarkuru, Chintarevulapalli and Bhyravapatnam villages. Sub-stations would be repaired and power can be supplied to Chinturu by afternoon on Wednesday, he said.
The official said Rs 5 crore of financial assistance would be disbursed to the flood victims of Chinturu, Kunavaram, Yetapaka and VR Puram mandals and the remaining Rs 3.50 crore would be released soon.
Eluru collector Venkatesh said the Rs 2000 financial assistance to each flood-victim will be given within 48 hours in Velerupadu and Kukunuru mandals.
Special officer Bhaskar said the first danger warning at Dowleswaram and Bhadrachalam may be withdrawn by Wednesday evening. Flood relief and essential commodities will be provided also to those who have gone to their relatives’ houses without coming to the rehabilitation camps.
Due to the floods, 90 villages have been badly affected and the transport and communication systems badly hit. Some 300 sanitation workers have been deployed to improve sanitation and remove garbage in flood-hit areas.
Konaseema district special officer Muralidhar said though the third warning was withdrawn at Dowleswaram barrage, the severity of the floods has not abated yet. He told the media along with collector Shukla that 1,96,072 people have been affected by the floods. Officials evacuated 6,000 families to safety in the district.
With the water levels receding to 17.70 feet, the third warning has been withdrawn at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage by 1.30pm on Tuesday and at Bhadrachalam the water was below 53 feet. Water resources department officers discharged 18.43 lakh cusecs of water into the Bay of Bengal from Dowleswaram Barrage by 9pm and the gouge level reached 17.30 feet.
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