VIJAYAWADA: After being inundated for a fortnight in the floodwater of River Krishna, around 10 to 15 houses in Bhupesh Gupta Nagar were collapsed, leaving the inmates in the lurch during the Covid-19 pandemic. All these days, the flood-hit victims stayed at the rehabilitation centres set up by the district administration and civic body at the IGMC Stadium and Patamata High School. After the floodwater receded gradually, the residents returned to their houses only to see them in a dilapidated condition.
One among them was K Sambaiah, who has been staying at Bhupesh Gupta Nagar for more than two decades. He blamed the officials for their present situation as the latter failed to intimate them about the heavy inflows to River Krishna. “Every year, the officials alert us about the flood situation, but this time they failed to do the same. We are left with nothing as floods damaged all our belongings,” he rued.
“We don’t need temporary measures, if the government was really committed for the welfare of poor and downtrodden, it should take steps in completing the construction of retaining wall and provide a financial assistance of `10,000 to each flood-hit family as majority of the people in our locality are daily wage labourers,” Sambaiah added.
Another resident, G Madhavi, who reached the locality after staying in her relatives’ house at Patamata, flayed the officials for not doing enough to mitigate their woes. She was in for a rude shock after seeing her house in a dilapidated condition. “We stayed at the rehabilitation centre at IGMC Stadium. The officials have provided food and shelter for us at the rehabilitation centre. But, who will compensate us for the losses we incurred during the floods,” she said. “At least, now the government should find a permanent solution to our problem,” Madhavi added.