Thousands await relief in Vijayawada

Vijayawada
Oct. 7: The situation of relief works in many flood-hit places in Vijayawada is akin to Nero fiddling when Rome was burning: the district administration is dilly-dallying on extending relief to flood victims, who are stranded without supplies, especially in the Diviseema area.
The administration has been concentrating only on relief camps in Vijayawada city, neglecting victims at Mopidevi, Nagayalanka, Avanigadda and Koduru.
Most of them do not have money to buy supplies, though NGOs and other organisations are supplying food packets and clothes.
Traders are not willing to provide essential commodities on credit even though flood victims promised them to pay later.
“Our crops have been totally destroyed. We don’t see any scope of improving our financial condition in the next six months. Traders know this well and so have refused to give supplies even though we know them well,” said Ms M. Ramanamma, a resident of Mopidevi mandal.
“The government should provide flood-victims with money so that they can get essential goods. Money is essential as it restores our confidence by making us not depend on others,” said Ms J. Lakshmi, a resident of Rudraram.
The government is yet to identify the real flood victims to distribute money based on the damage to their houses and properties.
The Krishna district collector, Mr Peeyush Kumar, said up to Rs 8,000 will be given to people who lost their houses in floods. To buy utensils Rs 1,500 will be given.
The condition of flood-victims in relief camps in Vijayawada is deplorable. Though officials claim that 40,000 victims have taken shelter in relief camps, the number may not be more than 22,000 as many have left the camps, which lacked facilities.
Also, there is no coordination between government agencies and non-governmental organisations in providing succour.
Source::DC