Over 100 families evacuated due to floods

Vijayawada: For the first time in 10 years, the floodwaters of Krishna river entered some homes in Tarakarama Nagar, Ranadheeve Nagar and Ranigari Thota in Krishna Lanka, the low-lying areas in riverbed adjacent to Krishna Karakatta. Over 100 families vacated their houses on Wednesday and been taking shelter in Municipal Corporation High School in Krishna Lanka and other places.

As floodwaters may rise in one or two days, hundreds of families are preparing to leave the riverbed area. Hundreds of families are living in the upstream and downstream of Prakasam barrage in unauthorised constructions. Most of the houses are vulnerable to the floods.

The district administration is asking the residents to vacate their houses till the floodwaters recede in one or three days. With heavy inflows, the irrigation officials have lifted 70 gates of Prakasam barrage and releasing water into the sea. Inflows into Prakasam barrage were gradually increased to 4.40 lakh cusecs by Wednesday and will expected to rise further as Pulichintala is getting more floodwaters.

Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu and Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas, Collector Md Imtiaz visited the Prakasam barrage and monitored the inflow and outflow of floodwaters.

Speaking on the occasion, Kannababu said the government has taken all precautionary measures to evacuate the people downstream and upstream of Prakasam barrage. Vellampalli Srinivas said for the first time in 10 years, Prakasam barrage was getting heavy inflows of floodwater.

District Collector Md Imtiaz said that all arrangements have been made to shift the flood-affected people to rehabilitation centres in the district. He said three relief camps were opened in three Municipal Corporation schools in Bhavanipuram and Krishna Lanka.