BHUPALAPALLY: The entire village of Moranchapalle in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district was submerged under floodwater late on Wednesday, leaving its 1,500 inhabitants in dire straits before they were evacuated to safety.
About 300 families were evacuated in a joint effort by the district administration, NDRF, and the Army. Among those rescued were six people from Ninepaka village who were airlifted by Army choppers.
Some villagers were forced to take refuge on the upper floors of their homes, while others climbed trees to evade the floodwaters. Among those rescued from atop a tree were four members of the same family, who spent six hours awaiting help. It was the first time after two decades that the village was inundated by a flood, caused by breached village tanks and overflowing catchment areas.
District Collector Bhavesh Mishra expressed relief that all residents were successfully evacuated. He said that the rescue teams comprised about 200 members with boats. Those evacuated were shifted to rehabilitation centres.
Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod, who tried to reach Moranchapalle village, was stuck near Chalivagu due to the overflowing waters. She remained on-site and monitored the rescue operations in coordination with the district Collector, SP, and MLA Gandra Venkatarama Reddy.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, called Rathod to enquire about the ongoing rescue efforts and urged her to take all necessary precautions to prevent further untoward incidents in the Bhupalapally and Mulugu districts.
Meanwhile, not only villages but also transportation routes were badly affected by the floods. Trucks heading to Chelpur Thermal Power Plant in Mulugu were stuck, and the drivers were stranded atop their vehicles, appealing for help. Rescue teams shifted them to dry ground.
160 tourists rescued from waterfall area
MULUGU: As many as 160 tourists stranded in floodwaters in the thick forest near the Mutyala Dhara Jalapatham (waterfall) were rescued in a joint operation involving the police, NDRF, District DRF, revenue and forest officials along with special teams late on Wednesday.
Venkatapuram MRO A Nagaraju said the rescue operation lasted seven and a half hours and was completed at 5 am on Thursday. The tourists, who had taken a shortcut route to the waterfall, were stranded in the deep forest of Venkatapuram mandal. If they had followed the actual route, they would have been in danger as there was no way to cross the overflowing streams, he said.
SP Gaush Alam said DRF teams reached Venkatapuram at 9.30 pm, and the rescue operation started at 11 pm. The NDRF team was divided into three groups, and they crossed the stream, tying ropes on either side for the safe transfer of the tourists on boats.