Godavari flood leaves a trail of destruction in Chintoor, inundates 250 tribal habitations

Members of the Koya tribe are the worst-affected; at least 14,000 families are being evacuated from the affected region, says ASR district Collector; second flood warning continues at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage

Floods in the Godavari have left a trail of destruction upstream of the Polavaram irrigation project, inundating nearly 250 tribal habitations in the Chintoor Agency area in Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district.

However, casualties have not been reported. At least 14,000 families have been affected in the Agency area, and they are being evacuated.

The Koya tribe is the worst-affected. Members of the tribe are setting up temporary shelters between Chintoor and V.R. Puram area.

“The evacuation of the 14,000 affected families by boats is in full swing. Of them, nearly 6,000 families are from Kunavaram mandal, and 4,000 families each from V.R. Puram and Chintoor mandals,” ASR district Collector Sumit Kumar said on July 29 (Saturday).

Meanwhile, nearly 300 Koya tribal families of Kommuru in Chintoor mandal staged a protest in the floodwaters on the banks of the Sabari river demanding that their habitation be included the list of the most flood-affected villages.

The river, which originates in Chhattisgarh, enters Andhra Pradesh at Chintoor, and Kommuru is located on the tri-State border.

Fishermen inhabiting the islands located between the downstream of the Polavaram irrigation project and the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, were advised to cooperate with the officials in their evacuation process.