Eluru: District collector K Vetri Selvi conducted a meeting with officials at Velerupadu MPDO office on Monday. Collector directed officials on flood prevention measures, measures to be taken before, during and after floods.
Speaking at the meeting, she directed officials to initiate flood precautionary measures in case of continuous rains for two or three days.
Even though there is no danger of flooding at present, the Godavari river is likely to flood during the monsoon season.
As soon as first danger warning is issued for the Godavari river at Bhadrachalam, flood prevention measures should be started.
During the first, second and third danger warnings, officials should identify villages that are prone to flooding and prepare a plan to evacuate the people of those villages to safe areas. In Velerupadu, there are 69 people who are 6 to 9 months pregnant. Along with them infants, small children, old people who are confined to bed and are unable to get up should be made aware of the danger of floods. Officials should be prepared to move them to safe places first.
The locations where flood relief centres could be set up should be identified.
In order to distribute to the people in the villages that are prone to flooding, they should prepare essential commodities like rice, dal and cooking oil for 3 months in the safe areas of the respective villages.
They should prepare lifeboats, life jackets, transport vehicles, lifeguards, and also establish an information system necessary to convey danger warnings and measures to be taken.
In Kukkunur and Velerupadu mandals, the dilapidated buildings and structures should be inspected and people living in that area must be shifted to relief centres during floods. Weak banks of the Godavari river should be identified and steps should be taken to strengthen them. Officials are asked to take strict measures to prevent any loss of life and property during floods in future.
ITDA Project Officer M Suryateja, RDO K Addaiah, Deputy Transport Commissioner Shanthakumari, DPO Tuthika Srinivas Viswanath, RTO Srihari, Tahsildar Chinnarao, MPP Lakshmidevi and others were preset.