Even as Hyderabad is limping back to normalcy, the devastating rains earlier this week are pouring in miseries for the people in Vijayawada and the Andhra Pradesh capital region.
The Jaganmohan Reddy government is bracing for a massive flood of about nine lakh cusecs at the Vijayawada's Prakasam Barrage, as the incessant rains caused floodwaters to continue to deluge many parts of the city 280 km away from Hyderabad.
On Friday, Krishna district collector A Md Imtiaz visited the barrage's upstream areas Chandarlapadu, Ibrahimpatnam and reviewed the preparedness of the official machinery to deal with contingencies.
“Nine lakh cusecs of Krishna water are expected to reach the Prakasam Barrage by Friday night. We are setting up the mitigation measures in the flood-prone areas, ”the district's administrative head said.
As of Friday evening, the flow at the barrage is 7.14 lakh cusecs. While the outflow at the Srisailam project is 4.7 lakh cusecs, the same at the Pulichintala project (between Srisailam and Prakasam) was about eight lakhs by Friday afternoon. The extremely heavy rains in Karnataka and Telangana have risen the water levels at these projects.
In the neighboring Guntur district, revenue officials had earlier served notices to the residents of bungalows along the Krishna river right bank, including former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, advising them to move out to safer places.
Revenue, police, and irrigation officials are on alert from Jaggayyapeta, where the river enters Krishna district, up to Nagayalanka, where it merges into the Bay of Bengal — in all 18 revenue mandals.
Bhupesh Gupta Nagar, Taraka Rama Nagar etc areas in Vijayawada are already submerged. 2,300 people here are evacuated to relief centers, provided with food etc., essentials.
The increased inflows in the river now pose the danger of deluge in more areas of the city and dozens of villages, on either side in Krishna and Guntur districts, downstream till the sea.
Special attention is on the delta's island villages. Evacuation and relief efforts were on at some places like Ravilala where the waters entered habitations on Friday.
NDRF, SDRF teams are on standby in Vijayawada, Nandigama and Thotlavalluru.
At least 10 people have died in the northern coast of AP due to the depression caused incessant rains on Monday and Tuesday
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