PATIENT HEARING: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy talking to families shifted to a relief camp in Bhadrachalam town on Sunday.

BHADRACHALAM: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy wanted the Governmental organisations to step up rescue and relief operations by moving faster to the flood-affected areas.

Addressing a review meeting on the flood situation with officials and elected representatives here on Sunday evening, he said called for effective coordination between various agencies to help the affected people.

He said the administration rose to the occasion and did a splendid job in shifting over 70,000 people to the relief camps almost in a day's time. He said all possible efforts were made to save the lives of people. Only two persons died in the floods in Khammam.

In addition to 12 launches, already engaged in the rescue and relief operations, two Indian Air Force helicopters were also pressed into service. The helicopters have been making sorties reaching out to people in every inundated village. Two naval boats would also join the operations in Bhadrachalam division soon.

Housing

The Chief Minister said that all the affected families would be provided with housing. The new houses would not be constructed in the same places. They would be located in safer places to avoid the flood problem once and for all.

He pointed out that the Bhadrachalam and Burgumpadu constituencies, which were severely affected had a predominant presence of the tribal population. The flood-hit families would be extended liberal help in both the constituencies.

He said the crop loss would be enumerated once the floodwaters receded.

Flood bank

He said that the construction of flood bank (parallel to the flood bank of Bhadrachalam) to protected Burgumpadu would be considered. He said that floods in the Godavari would in no way add to submergence of the Polavaram project. The project was designed by irrigation experts taking all the safety aspects into consideration.

The Chief Minister visited a relief camp in the town and enquired with the inmates about the facilities. He also visited Sarapaka village where the road connecting Burgumpadu village was totally submerged.

APCC president K. Keshava Rao, AICC secretary P. Sudhakar Reddy and a host of leaders accompanied Dr. Reddy.

Meanwhile, one person identified as Yedukondalu (35) was electrocuted. Due to a leakage in the flood bank sluice people were being evacuated from the nearby houses. When Yedukondalu was pulling electrical appliances he came in contact with a live wire.

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