TNM visited Ajith Singh Nagar (colloquially known as Singanagar) and Jakkampudi areas of Vijayawada — two of the worst hit — to understand if the state government’s approach to the floods has been ‘timely’ as several people dubbed it.
National Disaster Security Force (NDRF) personnel Raja dusted off his palms against his neon orange shorts after yet another round of shifting people out of the flood-affected Ajith Singh Nagar area in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada. “I have witnessed several floods. I was in Chennai when it flooded eight months ago and that was a big disaster too. But the speed with which the water flooded Vijayawada is unlike anything I have seen before,” he told TNM.
Floods effected areas:
- Ajithsingh Nagar,
- YSR Colony,
- Jakkampudi Colony,
- Ambapuram in Vijayawada Urban and Vijayawada Rural.
- YSR Colony,
State government’s response
While several districts, including neighbouring Palnadu and Guntur, were victims of floods, Vijayawada in NTR was the worst hit. According to weather reports, Vijayawada received 27% more rain (548.40 mm) than the annual rainfall of 429.10 mm. “This is the worst flood Vijayawada has witnessed in the last 200 years,” Vijayawada MP Kesineni Shivanath told TNM explaining how any preemptive response from the state wouldn’t have been possible.
