Palakol TDP MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu and 14 others had a narrow escape when the boat in which they were cruising in the Godavari developed a technical snag and stopped in the swirling waters on Wednesday.
The river was in spate for the last four days and was flowing at danger level, inundating hundreds of villages.
Mr. Ramanaidu, his security personnel, and several party leaders planned to visit the flood-affected island villages, and so they took a country boat.
On receiving information, Elamanchili SI Gangadhar and members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team rushed to the spot in two boats and rescued the MLA and others, said West Godavari Superintendent of Police K. Narayan Naik.
“The boat got stranded in the river at around 6 p.m. near Badava village. As the flood was heavy, the boat started going out of control. The sarang (driver) anchored it and alerted the police,” Narsapuram DSP P. Nageswara Rao told The Hindu.
Mr. Ramanaidu and others were travelling in the boat to Puchhala Lanka without wearing life jackets. The police gave life jackets to all the passengers and rescued them, said Poduru SI Surendra, who participated in the operation. However, the MLA was not available for comment.
Raft stuck
Incidentally, about 15 YSRCP leaders, including former MLA Thota Trimurthulu, travelling on a raft, were trapped in the floods when they tried to visit the affected villages at Veeravalli Lanka in East Godavari district on Tuesday.
They heaved a sigh of relief after the sarang successfully shifted them to the bund safely after an hour.
SP’s advice
“We are not allowing anybody to enter the river on country-made boats as the Godavari is in spate. People’s representatives, officials and the general public are requested not to travel on manual and motor boats in the river,” Mr. Naik said.
