Several villages on the banks of Krishna river were evacuated after an alert was sounded in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh as 8 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Prakasam barrage. The water, which was released early on Thursday, submerged several low-lying areas in the district and relief efforts are ongoing.
According to the New Indian Express, those in the immediate low-lying areas were evacuated two days prior and on Thursday, district officials and the police went to low-lying areas across mandals and alerted people about possible inundation. People were told to move to higher ground for safety.
Residents of Rani Gari Thota, Geeta Nagar, Balaji Nagar, Yanamalakuduru and Ramalingeswara Nagar on the banks of river Krishna were moved to rehabilitation centres as a precautionary measure.
While many followed instructions, people in villages like Rani Gari Thota demanded the construction of a retaining wall on the banks of the river to prevent water from flooding their homes annually. The residents were reportedly evacuated after district officials gave assurances. The TNIE report added that some people are still staying in the submerged areas.
The district administration has also declared a holiday for schools in the flood-affected areas of the district. "Do not allow any student to cross the river to reach schools," urged Krishna District Collector Mohammad Imtiaz in a teleconference with officials while reviewing the flood situation.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been readied and deployed for relief work. "People residing in the low-lying areas of Bhupesh Gupta Nagar, Enamalakuduru and Kumaripalem were alerted about the floods," he said.
On Thursday, the inflow into the Pulichintala reservoir was 6.4 lakh cusecs and the inflow to Prakasam barrage stood at 4.6 lakh cusecs. On Friday morning, the water level at Prakasam barrage is above 15 feet and water is overflowing, according to ANI.
Power supply across many parts of the district was disrupted on Wednesday and special teams from the electricity department have been deployed to restore services.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has positioned SDRF teams in 11 mandals along with three IR boats, 14 aksa lights, 84 lifebuoys, 110 life jackets and 26 ropes. Preliminary reports from three mandals indicate that 315 houses have been marooned.