VIJAYAWADA: The Budameru rivulet has turned the lives of the people of Vijayawada into a nightmare, particularly affecting Jakkulanakkalam village in Gannavaram mandal, Krishna district.
Located just 1.5 km from Gudavalli on the Vijayawada-Eluru section of the Chennai-Kolkata road, this village faced severe flooding when both the Budameru and Eluru canals overflowed. Water levels rose dramatically, reaching 10 to 15 feet, submerging all houses in the lower parts of the village for two to three days.
TNIE visited the village on Wednesday, where the situation remained dire despite a slight drop in floodwater level.
Approximately 1,000 acres of land, including six large private real estate ventures, were submerged. The villagers were trapped by 10-ft-deep water, and electrical poles were also underwater, cutting off the electricity supply.
Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) M Srinivasa Rao said most residents, who rely on agriculture, saw their 600 acres of paddy crops submerged, leaving the crops likely unusable.
The village was completely cut off from the outside world for three days. Local leaders pressured the State government to arrange for boats to deliver food parcels. The local village head and State President of Kisan Morcha, Chigurupati Kumaraswamy, intervened by contacting government leaders to organise a boat service for delivering essentials.
More than 800 villagers were left fearing for their survival during this time. Chigurupati Kumara Swami expressed his shock at the flooding of their village, which was developed on a small hill and had never experienced such a disaster before. He called for government support to help villagers recover from their losses. Even after a medical camp was conducted, concerns remained about the potential spread of diseases.
After the third day, communication with the outside world became impossible as phones stopped working and inverters were discharged. Power could not be restored due to submerged poles, and the single road from Gudavalli to the village was completely washed away. The Shiva temple was also flooded, with water reaching the sanctum sanctorum, and the priest’s house was submerged.
Villager Pilagala Veranjaneyulu recounted being completely cut off from the world for three days and nights. Only in the past 24 hours were government-arranged boats able to provide essential supplies. Farmers faced significant losses, with tenant farmers potentially remaining in debt for years. He said that this season, farmers in their village spent between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25, 000 per acre for cultivating crops, only to face complete loss due to floods. He urged the government to support all affected farmers.
Power was restored, and food packets and drinking water provided by the government and social organisations helped alleviate panic. The villagers are now seeking regular water supply. During a visit to the village, Kumara Swami and Kisan Morcha State executive committee member Nadendla Mohan were urged to address the water supply issue urgently.
