AMARAVATI: Floods in Andhra Pradesh
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has blamed the severe flooding in Andhra Pradesh on widespread encroachments, especially along the Budameru River in Vijayawada. He highlighted that 90% of the river has been encroached upon, which has worsened the city’s flood situation.
Pawan Kalyan criticized the previous government for neglecting important irrigation projects and for allocating housing plots in areas prone to flooding. He argued that these decisions have made the floods even more devastating.
He also specifically targeted the previous YSR Congress Party government, accusing them of irresponsibly placing housing colonies in flood-prone areas. Pawan Kalyan pledged that his administration would prevent any such encroachments in the state over the next 20 years.
During his review of relief efforts, Pawan Kalyan focused on ensuring the supply of drinking water, distributing food, and managing sanitation in flood-affected areas. He praised the government’s response, pointing out that the administration had been in power for less than 100 days but still operated effectively.
He credited Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s experience, especially from handling the Hudhud cyclone, for the efficient management of the current crisis. According to Pawan Kalyan, CM Naidu worked tirelessly, day and night, just as he did during the Hudhud disaster.
Pawan Kalyan reassured the public that the state had received strong support under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Addressing criticism from former government officials about his absence from relief operations, he explained that his presence might have disrupted ongoing efforts. He challenged his critics to join him in inspecting the situation firsthand.
He emphasized the importance of CM Naidu’s experience in disaster management, noting that despite his age, the Chief Minister personally involved himself in relief efforts, even climbing bulldozers to oversee operations.
In his update on the relief operations, Pawan Kalyan mentioned that disaster management and police personnel were actively participating in the efforts. He reported that 60 fishing boats were damaged and 233 km of Panchayati Raj roads were affected, with funds for repairs released immediately.
Relief operations were closely monitored to ensure essential items reached flood-affected areas. The NTR district was the worst hit, with six helicopters deployed for relief efforts. Across the state, 685 Panchayat Raj teams were formed to carry out these operations. Superchlorination measures were implemented to prevent the spread of diseases.
The state government established 214 relief camps and 213 medical camps to help those affected by the floods. Drones were used to deliver up to 8 kg of food to flood-affected areas.
Pawan Kalyan announced that each of the 400 flood-affected village panchayats would receive Rs 1 lakh personally from him. He also declared a Rs 1 crore donation to the Telangana Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
