VIJAYAWADA: Commuters travelling on Vijayawada - Hyderabad National Highway had a harrowing experience on Sunday as the vehicular traffic came to a halt with flood water submerging the highway near Ithavaram and other parts of NTR district along with neighbouring districts of Telangana.
With most of the roads either water-logged, damaged or blocked due to overflowing flood water, revenue and police officials urged commuters to take alternative routes to reach their destinations as there are more than five roadblocks on the national important highway.
Same is the situation at toll plazas in Kaza, Keesara, Gannavaram and Kalaparru with hundreds of vehicles stranded due to floods. In order to avoid untoward incidents, the officials placed barricades at all the toll plazas in NTR district and huge boards suggesting to take alternative routes with rains playing havoc.
Speaking to TNIE, NTR district Commissioner of Police SV Rajasekhar Babu said all the interstate and intrastate highways in the district were put on high alert in the wake of floods.
He further said special rescue teams were placed at Ibrahimpatnam, Kanchikacherla, Nandigama and Ithavaram as the Munneru is overflowing at dangerous level.
“Strict instructions have been given to police to ensure that no vehicles are allowed to pass or cross the bridges and canals that are overflowing. Expert swimmers and disaster management response teams have been placed at all problematic locations in the district to thwart any untoward incidents,” the Commissioner of Police said.
On the other hand, Vijayawada railway authorities along with the NTR district administration carried out rescue operations and rescued around 5,000 passengers and arranged alternative transportation to ferry them to their destinations. A few trains were also diverted and railway officials arranged food supply to the passengers.
Railway authorities said 36 buses were arranged to transport 1,443 passengers from Rayanapadu station to Vijayawada and 48 buses to transport 3,070 passengers from Kondapalli to Vijayawada.