VIJAYAWADA: As ground reports reveal the challenges of delivering aid to the Budameru flood victims in submerged areas, officials have begun using helicopters and drones to distribute food packets and water bottles.
With floodwaters receding, residents near the Budameru rivulet are returning to their homes, only to find their belongings waterlogged and floating. Many are now forced to seek refuge in rehabilitation centers or with relatives.
Vetagiri Mounika, a private teacher from Vambay Colony, shared her difficulties with TNIE, stating, “Our apartments are submerged up to the first floor due to the Budameru floods. We're struggling with a lack of food and the inability to cook. To receive government aid, we have to wade through nearly 5 km of water to reach Singh Nagar bridge or the main road.”
Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu, who visited the flood-affected areas of Ajit Singh Nagar, including the 45th, 46th, and 47th Divisions, instructed officials to take immediate action to provide food and evacuate people from submerged areas.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha personally distributed food packets and water bottles to residents of flood-hit Lalitha Nagar in Bhavanipuram using a tractor.
Concerns Over Exploitation
There are growing concerns about exploitation in flood-affected areas like Singh Nagar, where some traders and private boat operators are reportedly profiting from the crisis. N. Sudhir from YSR Colony told TNIE that traders are targeting neglected suburban colonies, where residents are struggling to afford inflated prices for essential supplies.
In Jakkampudi and Shabad Nagar, approximately 2,000 families have been stranded without food or water for three days. Rallapalli Chandra Shekhar from Jakkampudi appealed for the supply of drinking water and milk for children.
A family from Tothvari Street 7, Pipula Road in Singh Nagar reported that a pregnant woman urgently needed transportation to a hospital due to labor pains. Additionally, a newborn baby in a flood-affected apartment near Pamula Kaluva in Jakkampudi Road had been without milk or drinking water for several days, exacerbating the crisis.
Disruptions in Relief Operations
Relief operations are being disrupted by visits from political leaders, and a lack of coordination among officials and field staff is also hampering efforts. The Budameru flood has now surrounded villages like Nidamanur, Gudavalli, Kesarapalli, and Savari Gudem in Krishna district, with the breach at Gudavalli causing floodwaters to inundate residential areas and submerge paddy crops.