KAKINADA: Life for people of 43 lanka (islet) villages in the Amalapuram revenue division in East Godavari district has turned upside down for the past five days after the gates of Dowleswaram at Rajamahendravaram were lifted to let out heavy inflows into the River Godavari. Though there have been no rains in the region, these islets have been flooded because of heavy inflows into the river from upstream.
The situation is so grim that most of the houses have submerged in floodwater and the residents are forced to abandon their daily chores like cooking food and sending children to school. In the absence of availability of food and drinking water, they have to wade through waist-deep dirty water to reach a point over 100 metres away from their homes to get these essential things being supplied by authorities. Banana plantations and paddy fields in several villages have been inundated and Yanam beach has been in water since Wednesday night.
With no means of transportation and floodwater everywhere, the working class people in islets of Amalapuram, Mummidivaram and I Polavaram mandals have lost their source of income for more than five days.
Students of Pallipalem, Pogakulanka, Bairavapalem, and Gogulanka, Kesanakurru in I Polavaram mandal are forced to stay at home because authorities have declared holidays to over 100 schools as boat operations in the area have been suspended in view of heavy floods in the canals. Students of these islets depend on boats to reach their schools.
Grim situation continues
Hundreds of people got stranded for last five days along with small children in most of the lanka villages in Konaseema as the situation did not improve even on Thursday
The present water level is three feet in some low-lying areas and two feet in agriculture fields
Collector Karthikeya Mishra assured that the government will extend support to marooned Lanka villages
He enquired with villagers about food, water and milk supply to the families whose houses were submerged
He said that
the district machinery is making all efforts to ensure safety