Kakinada: The Godavari is in full flow and fury, inundating not only the Lanka villages (islet) but also some villages on the plains in Konaseema. The people of islet villages like G.Pedapudilanka, Burugulanka, Arigelavaripet, Udimudilanka, Vadrevupalli Lanka and Sivayalanka are living amidst flood waters in P. Gannavaram mandal of West Godavari. When the Godavari is in spate, lanka villages are inundated and transport facilities are cut off with main villages.
During the past 10 days, they have been staying in their villages though running out of essential commodities. Officials are supplying breakfast and meals by going to the villages by boats.
Flood water, meanwhile, has entered villages on plain villages like K. Yenugupalli, Y. Kothapalli and K. Munjavaram villages. According to the people, horticulture crops like vegetables, leafy vegetables, banana and crops in coconut gardens are inundation. Many coconuts and cattle are getting washed away by the flood waters and they were getting stuck at Gannavaram aqueduct.
People say that they are not in a position to search for their cattle because they are stuck in the floods. They alleged that In 2014, just before elections, the then Amalapuram Lok Sabha MP G. Harsha Kumar laid stone for constructing of bridge to link the villages with the main roads in plain villages at a cost of `19.5 crores. Later, when the Telugu Desam came to power, the then Deputy Chief Minister Nimmakaayala China Rajappa laid stone for the same bridge at a cost of `49.5 crore just before elections. Now, social welfare minister Pinepe Viswaroop visited the villages two days beck and promised the people that he would make efforts to lay stone for the bridge by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy next January. Residents blame politicians for their plight.
Meanwhile, a cement road that was laid at Vadrevupalli Lanka and Sivayalanka villages for two years back has been washed away by the flood waters. The officials stopped transport facility by vehicles from the villages in view of precautionary measures. The officials deployed two tractors on either side to continue the transportation. The people of the villages said that if the flood waters rise, it would not be possible to drive tractors on the road and cut off the links with these two villages to other plain villages.
Many of such villages are facing flood fury and the people are living amidst flood waters.
