KAKINADA/VIJAYAWADA: Even as the rains decreased from Thursday morning, several villages in West and East Godavari districts, including the urban areas of Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram, remain underwater.
Over 1.13 lakh people have been affected in 126 villages in East Godavari district, which received 218 mm of rainfall between October 9 and 13. Besides this, water from upstream areas reached Yeleru reservoir, causing large-scale damage to agriculture and horticulture crops.
Urban and rural areas alike bore the brunt of the flood, and several localities in Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram are still under three feet of water. The agriculture department, as per preliminary estimates, said that crops on 88,462 hectares were damaged across the State, and of this, 38,978 hectares are in East Godavari district. The actual extent of crop loss will be ascertained only after the water recedes. A detailed enumeration of the crop loss is to start from Friday.
East Godavari district Collector D Muralidhar Reddy said 4,460 people from flood-affected areas have been shifted to 18 relief camps set up by the district administration. The Yeleru reservoir is continuing to receive inflows from upstream, and the authorities are releasing 17,000 cusecs of water from it.Road connectivity continues to be badly affected as water is flowing over culverts and causeways at several places. A few bridges were completely washed away, snapping road links to several villages.
The Tandava river is receiving heavy inflows, due to which roads were flooded and traffic disrupted between Kotananduru, Kottam, Tuni, Kolimeru and other areas. A few thatched houses were washed away, and road connectivity to at least 10 villages was disrupted, with flooding of the Suddagadda canal in Prathipadu mandal.
The impact was also felt in V Ramachandrapuram agency area, with roads submerged by local streams and rivulets. The road near the Annavaram bridge was washed away, forcing commuters to take alternative routes. People were asked to take the Chinturu and Kunavaram route to proceed to VR Puram and Rekhapalli.
At the the Pothuraju tank embankment, rainwater submerged Kidracolony village in Rajavommangi mandal. Similarly, overflowing water of the Dandangi stream in Devipatnam Mandal washed away bridges, snapping road connectivity to 20 villages from the mandal headquarters. This left health and revenue employees struggling to reach the affected villages to supply aid.
In Uppada village of U Kothapalli Mandal, around 15 katcha houses were damaged, and two houses washed away. Coastal villages such as Uppada, Subbarajupeta, Jaggarajupeta and Ramayanapatnam were also affected by the high tides.
In West Godavari district, Eluru town was submerged as Tammileru reservoir received excess water. However, major flooding and devastation was averted as officials, as a precautionary measure, breached the canals in advance. Road links to some villages were cut off as bridges and culverts were badly damaged by the floods.
