Forcible evacuation begins in flood-hit villages of Andhra Pradesh

With the flood reaching danger level in the river bed villages, thousands of people in the flood-affected habitations moved to safer places in the nearby hamlets in Eluru and West Godavari districts.

Officers on flood duty were appealing to the people to shift to relief camps as the water level may rise further. All the island villagers were completely submerged in flood in Elamanchili, Achanta and Narsapuram Mandals.

The Irrigation Department personnel discharged 18.47 lakh cusecs from Polavaram project and the water levels at upper spillway was 35.680 metres and lower stream of the spillway was at 27.460 metres.

Polavaram MLA Tellam Balaraju and Eluru district Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh visit the flood-affected habitations in Velerupadu mandal. (Source: Special Arrangement)

Tribal hamlets marooned

About 30 tribal villages, located on the river bund in the Agency area were completely marooned and the Koya tribes moved to the hilly areas in Eluru district.

With the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Irrigation Department officials alerting over further rise in flood level in Godavari, officials were forcibly evacuating the villagers in some areas.

“A majority of the villagers are shifting to their relatives and friends' houses located on upland areas. We are asking the locals to vacate the houses as the flood level is increasing,” said West Godavari district Collector P. Prasanthi.

Instructions have been given to the officers to press more boats into service to speed up the evacuation process, the Collector said on July 15.

Eluru district Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh said that food and essential commodities were being distributed to the flood victims who climbed the hills in the Agency Mandals.

"We are distributing medicines for heart ailments and COVID-19 and for pregnant women through Indian Navy helicopters,” Mr. Venkatesh told The Hindu.

Water being discharged from Polavaram dam in Eluru district on July 13. Irrigation Department authorities released 12.50 lakh cusecs of water, by lifting all 48 gates of the project. (Source: Special Arrangement)

NDRF, SDRF teams deployed

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 10 ^th Battalion and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were evacuating the flood victims on boats. About eight NDRF and ten SDRF teams were deployed in the floot-hit habitations, the officials said.

NDRF 10 ^th Battalion Commandant Zahid Khan said that teams have been deployed to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka with life saving equipment to take up relief and rescue operations in wake of heavy rains and floods.