AP: Villagers express dissatisfaction over flood relief measures, confront legislator

People of low-lying Chevitikallu village, which has been affected by the flood in Krishna River, have expressed dissatisfaction over the relief and rehabilitation facilities being provided to them and have accused the administration of laxity in rescue operations.

Claiming that a girl was washed out on Friday evening and couldn't be traced till today morning, the villagers also confronted the local legislator visiting the area.

Nandigama Assembly constituency legislator M Jahnmohan Rao had to face the ire of the villagers while visiting the area to take stock of relief operations.

The villagers alleged that precautionary measures in the village were not sufficient and there were not adequate transportation facilities for shifting villagers to the rehabilitation centres.

Expressing their concerns, one of the villagers said, "We were told about buses being made available for shifting to the rehabilitation centre. We informed the administration about increasing flood water and urged for immediate arrangements for relocation. But a boat came in the morning with no life jackets."

The MLA, visiting the area attempted to explain the flood relief arrangements to the locals, however, a verbal altercation ensued after villagers expressed discontent over the same.

The villagers also claimed to have called and apprised the state Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita about the situation while alleging that visiting MLA was irked over the same.

"We are not against the government but we are simply asking about lacuna in the rescue and rehabilitation process", a villager added.

Normal life had come to a standstill after water entered the low-lying areas in Krishna district owing to heavy rainfall in the region.

Chevitikallu, Munnaluru, Gani Atkuru, Moguluru, Kunikinapadu, Ustepalli, Kasarabad, Kodavatikallu, Eturu, Sangallapalem, Punnavalli and Pokkanuru villages in the district were partially submerged with floodwater on Friday.

Earlier today, Governor Biswa Bushan Harichandanon also conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected regions of the state.