The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Most Diviseema areas still under water

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Saturday, Oct 10, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Most Diviseema areas still under water

K.N. Murali Sankar

Many anxious to go to their villages and see the condition of their property

Photo: V. Raju

Desperate situation: Flood-affected people of Patha Yadlalanka in Avanigadda fetching drinking water from a tap on Friday. —

AVANIGADDA (Krishna dist.): After nearly a week of the havoc caused by the record flood in the Krishna, Diviseema struggles to come back to normal as the floodwater is only slowly receding.

Most of the low-lying areas were still under water for the seventh consecutive day on Friday, but the residents of these areas, presently taking shelter in various relief camps, were keen on returning home.

The level of water at Campbell aqueduct, which touched the top of the electricity pole at the peak of the flood, came down to beneath the aqueduct.

Orchards of banana and guava have been completely damaged and there appears to be no hope of any recovery. A few farmers of Puligadda village have taken the initiative of cleaning the aqueduct by removing the weed and other litter that accumulated with the floodwater.

‘Start from scratch’

“All our crops have been completely damaged. We need to plough the land and begin the entire process from the scratch,” said Kokkiligadda Narasimha Rao, who owns a banana orchard of two acres. On the campuses of the Government Degree College and Junior College, separate relief camps have been arranged for the victims and the cattle.

Even as the officials have made it clear that the relief camps would be kept open for a few more days till restoration of normal living conditions in the island villages, many villagers were anxious to go to their villages and see the condition of their property.

“The police forced us to leave the village and they did not even give us time to rearrange our belongings. Now there is no way to go there. We may have to spend another couple of days here,” said Nadikurthi Israel, a farmer of Malapalligudem hamlet.

There were no complaints from the victims about the arrangements at the relief camps as they were getting help through several means from various organisations and individuals. “Besides food, clothes and grocery are being distributed by many people. The only problem is that those who are not affected by the flood too are competing with us to get those things,” said Ghantasala Durga Rao, a youngster of Cheruvulanka.

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