Eluru District administration on high alert for possible floods in Godavari

With the forecast of heavy inflows from Bhadrachalam over the next three days — estimated at over 9 lakh cusecs of floodwater— the Eluru district administration has been put on high alert to handle potential natural disasters such as cyclones and floods.

Presiding over a monsoon preparedness meeting with officials from all departments at the Velerupadu Tehsildar office on Tuesday (July 08), District Collector K. Vetriselvi instructed the administration to ensure zero loss of life and property and initiate proactive evacuation and relief measures in flood-prone mandals, especially Kukunoor and Velerupadu.

“We must act well before the first-level flood warning is issued at Bhadrachalam,” the Collector emphasized. “Officials must identify vulnerable habitations and ensure the safe relocation of pregnant women, children, the elderly, chronically ill, and persons with disabilities.”

She directed the officials to identify and ensure evacuation of people from at-risk villages along the Godavari riverbanks. Set up temporary shelters with facilities like clean drinking water, toilets, lighting, and mosquito control. Distribute tarpaulins to people in hilly and flood-affected areas like Koyida. Take steps for  safe relocation of cattle, with necessary fodder and water arrangements, she said.

The Collector also wanted  immediate repair of dilapidated buildings, bridges, culverts, and causeways to prevent accidents. Take up reinforcement of weak riverbanks, canals, and tanks based on past flood data. Ensure uninterrupted transportation during emergencies, with tree-clearing equipment on standby. Deploy of solar lights and generators near telecom towers to maintain communication in affected zones, she said.

Ms. Vetriselvi  suggested protection of drinking water pipelines and borewells from contamination; water samples from affected villages are to be tested. Also, use of water tankers if needed, especially in severely affected areas. The Collector also directed the Civil Supplies Department to stock essential commodities sufficient for three months and asked the Fisheries department to prepare boats for emergency usage. In flood shelters and affected villages, sanitation drives and fogging operations must be carried out promptly to prevent disease outbreaks.

Joint Collector P. Dhatri Reddy, RDO Ramana, DRDA PD K. Vijayaraju, Irrigation SE Nagarjuna Rao, DPO K. Anuradha, RWS SE Trinath Babu, Agriculture JD Habib Basha, Transco SE Salman Raju, Housing PD Satyanarayana, DSP Venkateswara Rao, and Tahsildar D.V. Satyanarayana, among others, were present.