Kakinada: Movement of people still restricted to boats

Kakinada: Though the depression in Bay of Bengal crossed the coast four days ago,the people of East Godavari district could not relieve from the rain havoc. All rivulets, streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, canals and other water sources are continue to overflow. Though the skies cleared up, there were heavy rains occurring during night. Many of the low-lying areas like Indrapalem, Swamynagar in Kakinada are soaking in water. The people living in the areas are still facing hardships to move out from the houses to do their daily works. In particular milk vendors who are having buffalos and cows are facing great hardship due to lack of place to keep their cattle.

The Municipal Corporation is engaging 10 boats in the city for the purpose of residents of the inundated colonies. The Agriculture and Horticulture crops have been submerged and many of the fields are looking like lakes. The farmers are worrying over their crops greatly damaged.

In some of the areas, the farmers are trying to save their crops, but in vain. The Agriculture officials are not bothering about the crop losses, they alleged. The officials say they will start enumeration of crop loss due to the rains after receding of the waters. But they are not advising the farmers on how to save their crops.

The incessant rains in the district have brought the life to a standstill and disturbed the daily routine of common man. Owing to the excessive outflow of water from the Yeleru reservoir, the surrounding villages are completely submerged with rainwater. In Amalapuram, Pithapuram,Gollaprolu and Kakinada Rural and other areas all crops are damaged by the unabated rains. In Kakinada as well as in other places the rainwater submerged almost all the localities and shattered the roads and the pebbles have come out causing inconvenience to the vehicular traffic. The lovely Smart city Kakinada was turned into an untidy ugly city. People in the low-lying areas like Janachaintanya Nagar, Old Bus stand, Dummulpet, Mootha Nagar, Prasan Anjaneya temple at Pratap Nagar bridge, Indrapalem, Cheediga, Ganganapalli, in Kakinada Rural and Urban and Nagulapalli, Ramnakkapet in U Kothapallimandals and agency people are facing a lot of hardship in getting potable water. The supply of drinking water to the people is inadequate and not sufficient to meet their drinking needs. Moreover, they have to trek at least one or two kilometres to get one pot of water.

PitaniLeelavati, a resident of Jana Chaitanya Nagar told 'The Hans India' that the entire area was submerged with flood and drainage water and people have to wade through 3 feet waters to reach their places. She said children are crying for milk and the mothers have to go at least 1 km to get one or two packets of milk. Even the milk supply is very poor and inadequate. She said that the government has provided two boats to carry the drinking water and other essential commodities. But after 5 pm in the evening, the boat services are suspended and people are suffering a lot for not getting water after 5pm.

Many people expressed their anguish at the apathetic, indifferent attitude of the government in not finding a solution to the woes of people during rains and floods.

TDP Kakinada Parliamentary constituency president Jyothula Naveen lambasted the government for not taking suitable steps in the wake of surging flood and incessant rains in the district. The crop is ready to be harvested and at this critical juncture the crops have been damaged due to heavy rains. He also commented that government machinery has not utilized modern technology and woefully failed to tackle the situation. Naveen demanded that the government give a compensation of Rs 25,000 per each acre to the farmers.