Villagers trek to nearby hills, pitch tents as floodwaters rise

Villagers in Agency area trek to hills for makeshift tents as floodwaters rise, officials warn of increasing levels.

With the floodwaters entering many habitations in the Agency area on Tuesday, villagers trekked to nearby hills to pitch makeshift tents.

The water level in Godavari at Bhadrachalam was at 50.5 feet and the second warning level was in force. The Irrigation Department officials discharged over 12 lakh cusecs from Polavaram project, the Central Water Commission (CWC) officials said.

“Flood level may increase for three more days in the rived-bed habitations. If there is rain in the catchment areas in Peruru, Dummugudem and Eturunagaram in the next 48 hours, water level may rise further,” they said.

Many villagers climbed the hills at Medepalli, Koida, Narlavaram, Thotakuragommu, Repakagommu, Nemalipeta and other habitations and erected makeshift tents.

“We cleared the bushes and erected tents with the tarpaulins distributed by the officials. However, we are afraid of poisonous reptiles and snakes which come in the floodwaters,” said a villager, Arjuna Rao.

According to the officials, about 11,200 people were affected due to the floods in Velerupadu, Polavaram and Kukunur mandals in Eluru district. Officials shifted about 6,300 villagers to 21 relief camps.

Collector K. Vetri Selviwho visited the Dacharam relief camp on Tuesday said that ten villages were affected and about 235 houses were damaged due to floods.