Minister Narayana inspects flood relief operations in Vijayawada, says it will completed in two days

Andhra Pradesh Municipal Department Minister Narayana conducted an inspection of ongoing flood water pumping operations in various parts of the city, including Kandrika, Journalist Colony, and Rajiv Nagar. During the inspection, he was accompanied by 64th Division Special Officer Sampath Kumar, where they examined flood water flow in Budameru.

Minister Narayana informed the media that heavy motors have been strategically installed to effectively pump out flood water. Additionally, measures have been implemented to dig holes in certain roads to facilitate the water's evacuation. He assured that by Friday evening, efforts would be made to eliminate any remaining flood water in the city. The minister emphasized that temporary solutions have been initiated without disrupting the natural flow of Budameru, although he acknowledged that some rural areas continue to experience flooding. He expressed confidence that normalcy would return to all affected regions within the next two days.

Meanwhile, meteorological reports indicate that a low-pressure system is expected to develop in the North Bay of Bengal on Friday, influenced by ongoing surface circulation from the northeastern region of Bangladesh. This system is predicted to migrate west-northwest, entering the northwestern Bay of Bengal by the 15th. In the meantime, residents across various regions faced severe heat on Thursday, with Kavali recording a maximum temperature of 38.2 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has forecasted scattered rain across North Coast, South Coast, and Rayalaseema in the upcoming 24 hours.

In related news, the recovery of boats stuck at Prakasam Barrage has presented significant challenges. Efforts to extract the vessels have become increasingly complex. Engineers from Sea Lion Company and Beckham Company considered cutting one of the two boats that surfaced on Wednesday night, but these attempts have proven difficult. The boats are constructed from a robust iron sheet, making it arduous to cut through. On Thursday morning, crews managed to cut the visible top of one boat, but the submerged portions remain challenging to access.

As divers face limitations, only able to stay in the water for about an hour, cutting efforts are currently concentrated on the section of the boat that is above water. Engineers have devised a plan to slice each boat into two sections, facilitated by iron ropes to be installed from both the Prakasam Barrage and the model guesthouse along the riverbank. A specialized rigging team of ten arrived from Kakinada to assist in this operation.

A team led by Abbulu, who previously aided in the recovery of a boat that sank in Kachulur at Papikonda, has also joined the efforts. With established skills in boat retrieval, this team has arranged for heavy ropes to be strategically placed to pull the damaged sections of the boats. The cutting process, which took two days for just one boat, is anticipated to extend to a week to fully resolve the situation.