VIJAYAWADA: With floodwater discharge from Prakasam barrage gradually increasing for the past two days, several houses in low-lying areas under Bhupesh Gupta Nagar and Tararama Nagar were inundated. As a result, the residents were forced to pack their valuables and household essentials and relocate to safe places.
According to the irrigation department officials, as of 7 pm, the inflows to Prakasam Barrage was 2.09 lakh cusecs, while outflows was 1.96 lakh cusecs. The excess water was discharged by lifting 70 gates at four feet height. At Pulichintala Project, the inflows was 7,000 cusecs and outflows was 13,200 cusecs.
A few residents of Bhupesh Gupta Nagar, Ranigarithota and Tarakarama Nagar expressed their anger towards the district administration and civic body officials for not providing them any rehabilitation facility despite knowing that floodwater from Karnataka and Maharashtra will arrive at Prakasam Barrage.
M Dayamani, who has been staying on the banks of Krishna river for over 30 years, said that her family had incurred huge losses during the previous year’s floods as her television and other valuables were washed away. “It has become a routine affair for us to safeguard our valuables and households whenever Krishna gets flooded. The officials and public representatives concerned visit us during the floods, but they do not take any concrete measures to provide housing facilities for us,” she said.
Another resident M Narendra Kumar said, “Last year, flood water entered into our house up to the shoulder-level. This time, my parents and other family members spent a sleepless night on Monday, as we shifted all electronic items and utensils at one of my relatives house in Moghalrajpuram. Steps should be taken by the government to expedite the ongoing flood protection wall works so as to provide a permanent solution for our problems.”