GUNTUR: The officials of the erstwhile undivided Guntur district are on high alert following the heavy rains and the release of surplus water from Prakasam Barrage. Rescue operations have been launched in 16 island villages in Tadepalli, Mangalagiri, Pedakakani, Prathipadu and Duggirala mandals. People have been evacuated from island villages in Uddandarayunipalem and Thallayapalem in Thullur using boats and shifted to rehabilitation centres.
As many as 28 rehabilitation centres have been set up and over 4,500 people shifted in Pedakakani, Medikondur, Thullur, Vattichekuru, Tenali, Kollipara, Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, Duggirala, Mangalagiri Tadepalli Municipal Corporation and Ponnur. Joint Collector Bhargav Tej and SP Sathish Kumar oversaw the rescue operations.
Union Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh visited the inundated areas in Guntur city and Mangalagiri respectively and interacted with the people at rehabilitation centres. They directed the officials to provide all basic amenities to the rain victims. In Bapatla, six lanka villages in Kolluru mandal are likely to be flooded. Hence, children, women and elderly people have been shifted to to rehabilitation centres.
