Andhra CM directs officials to pull up socks, ensure last mile food delivery for flood victims

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed all officials in the state to pull up their socks and work efficiently in extending relief and helping flood victims, following the unprecedented rainfall and floods, especially in Vijayawada.

The chief minister said he is undertaking surprise inspections in the flood-affected areas and directly eliciting feedback from the people through the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) mode.

"People are undergoing hardships. Snakes and scorpions are even entering upper floor residences. I am conducting IVRS and receiving information that food is not reaching some places. Rise up to the occasion and work with humanity," said Naidu, addressing a press conference at NTR District Collectorate.

Noting that he was sending the messages received through IVRS directly to officials, along with the phone numbers, the CM appealed to people to pass on correct information.

He said that sending real-time information would empower him to take action accordingly and observed that IAS officers have been deployed on the ground.

Further, the CM ordered officials to ensure food distribution to the last mile at any cost and said that he would take stern action in case of lapses.

People have already suffered enough for two days and there is no need for them to suffer further, he said.

Observing that people were crowding relief vehicles at Ajit Singh Nagar in Vijayawada, the worst affected, Naidu directed officials to stop them at main centres and fan out to every ward secretariat for efficient last mile distribution of food and other necessities.

According to a government release, 2,684 km long roadways were damaged in the recent torrential downpours and over 1.8 lakh agricultural fields suffered crop losses, affecting farmers in 20 districts.

As of Tuesday, 323 trains were cancelled in Vijayawada, 170 diverted and 12 partially cancelled.

The number of flood-affected people rose to 6.4 lakh across the state and 190 relief camps were set up. As many as 44,041 people were accommodated in the relief camps.

Five choppers, two from the Navy and three from the Air Force, are dropping food items and airlifting people from marooned places. The choppers dropped 4,870 kg of food items and rescued 21 people until now, the release added.

Meanwhile, several families have started temporarily vacating their homes in the Ajit Singh Nagar area since Monday in the light of waterlogging and power cuts.

An Ajit Singh Nagar resident said their family waded through waist-deep waters for about two kilometres and then travelled further to reach Vijayawada railway station.

"Many families have already left and more are leaving to their relatives and friends' homes locally and other places ... People are fearing that there would be no power for 10 days," said the resident.

The blackout in Ajit Singh Nagar has already entered its third day while some water has receded.

In light of an acute power shortage, people are scrambling to charge their mobile phones at the railway station, among other difficulties.

Complaints are also trickling in about how some private boat operators are extorting money from hapless flood victims.

A former police officer, Hari Krishna, who is volunteering to help his former subordinate in Ajit Singh Nagar area, said that some private persons are engaged in extortion without giving boats to the government. The officials are now busy saving lives, and they do not have time to act on these unscrupulous persons, he said.

He said the entire Ajit Singh Nagar area is still inundated with floodwaters. "Somehow improvement is there today and water is receding. Many people have been evacuated and many are voluntarily coming out," Krishna told PTI.

The government has called for voluntary food contributions to be delivered at a designated point in Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department observed that a cyclonic circulation is lying over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and vicinity between 3.1 km and 5.8 km above mean sea level.

"A fresh low pressure area is likely to form over west - central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal around September 5," it said.

For Tuesday, it forecast heavy rainfall in parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, along with thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in isolated places in the same geography.

Further, the Met Department predicted strong surface winds with speeds reaching up to 40 km per hour in parts of the southern state.