There has been no road link to over 25 villages for the last three days as flood waters are flowing over the low-level bridges in the Agency areas and in island villages of the district.
The Kothuru causeway is under a sheet of water for the last few days, snapping road link to about 19 habitations in Polavaram mandal. A few villages in Velerupadu mandal are also affected due to the floods in the Godavari.
Flood waters are flowing over the spillway at the Polavaram village, and officials are strengthening the bund at a few places as the Godavari has been in spate for the last 20 days.
“We are living in constant fear as the Necklace bund is weak at Patha Polavaram. Officers have arranged sand bags to strengthen the bund at many places,” said Buchemma, a villager on Friday.
Transportationremains cut off to several villages in the V.R. Puram, Yetapaka and other mandals. Officials are supplying medicines, ration and other essential items to the tribal people through boats.
“There is no transportation to Tekuru, Koruturu, Telladibbala, Cheeduru, Sirivaka, Kondukota, Tatakommuru and other habitations. Water level on the Kothuru causeway may decrease by Saturday if there is no rainfall,” said Polavaram Sub-Collector R.V. Suryanarayana.
‘Relief work hampered’
As there is no transportation to many villages in the division, relief works are hampered. As a result, tribal people have been facing a lot of hardship for the last three weeks.
“Many huts have collapsed and a few are damaged. We have been staying on the hills and under trees for many days, and there is no relief for us,” said a villager, M. Bakkaiah.
Signs of abatement
Meanwhile, the flood level in Godavari is receding at Bhadrachalam. The water level there stood at 34 feet on Friday. Similarly, the flood level is slowly decreasing at the Old Railway Bridge in Rajamahendravaram and at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram.
Officials engaged country-made and mechanised boats in many villages to shift the affected people from the cut-off areas and island villages.
