Sabari River Floods, 68 Families Evacuated as Water Levels Rise

Kakinada:The Polavaram district administration has been put on high alert as the flood discharge in the Sabari river is expected to rise over the next 12 hours. The current flow is between 2.8 lakh and 3 lakh cusecs and is expected to reach 5.2 lakh to 5.5 lakh cusecs.

In Chinturu mandal, 47 families from habitations within the A.J. Koduru limits and 21 families living along the banks of the Sabari river in Chinturu village have been shifted to safer locations.

Alternative rehabilitation centres have been prepared for 42 villages in Kunavaram. Medical teams are ready to identify pregnant women and critically ill persons and shift them to nearby hospitals if necessary.

Of the flood-prone areas, 20 villages lie along the Kunavaram-Polavaram bridge route, while another 22 villages have also been identified as vulnerable. Arrangements for drinking water, accommodation and other essential amenities are being made for affected people. Temporary shelters and boats have been kept ready for relief operations.

Two roads in V.R. Puram mandal were damaged due to the rising Sabari. Tractors have been fitted with tarpaulins to facilitate relief operations. Six launches and 15 country boats have been kept ready to evacuate people from flood-prone areas and carry out relief activities.

Special vigilance is being maintained in Ramavaram and Gollavaigudem areas due to the risk of inundation.

District collector K. Dinesh Kumar directed officials and field-level staff to remain vigilant, noting that water levels were likely to rise further during the night. Despite being on leave, he monitored the situation and issued instructions through a teleconference on evacuation, rehabilitation and emergency services.

He directed all personnel, from district-level officials to village-level staff, to remain available in the field until the floodwaters recede. Officials were asked to identify flood-prone areas and habitations using the 2022 flood situation as a benchmark and undertake evacuations to rehabilitation centres.

He directed officials to shift residents of villages and habitations at risk of flooding, particularly children and the elderly, to safe locations and rehabilitation centres without delay. Officials of Chinturu, Kunavaram, V.R. Puram and Yetapaka mandals under Chinturu division were asked to take steps for immediate evacuation whenever required.

Joint Collector Surapati Prashant Kumar, Chinturu Sub-Collector Subham Nokwal, RDO K. Swathi and others were present.

Meanwhile, heavy rains disrupted normal life in several parts of East Godavari district, inundating thousands of acres of paddy fields and disrupting traffic.

At Kovvada in Tallapudi mandal, nearly 2,000 acres of paddy fields were submerged. In Gopalapuram, streams and rivulets were overflowing. The Kovvada canal and other irrigation channels at Chityala and Venkatayapalem were also overflowing. The Alli Canal between Kovvurupadu and Dondapudi was flowing at high levels.

At the outskirts of Peddapuram, the overflowing Peddacheruvu submerged nearly 200 acres of paddy fields. The Rajamahendravaram Urban tahsildar's office was severely inundated after drainage water entered the premises following overnight rain.

On Thursday night, a car was swept away by strong floodwaters in the Cintala Gandi canal between Gadarada and Kanupuru villages in Korukonda mandal. The four occupants escaped without injury after opening the doors and getting out of the vehicle.

Karanam Satish of Kanupur village and three others were travelling to the village when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, YSRC cadres staged a dharna at the Cintala Gandi canal, demanding that the government construct a culvert immediately.