Vijayawada: With the Budameru flood threat receding, Vijayawada city officials have shifted their focus to an extensive sanitation operation. Authorities are not only clearing debris from the streets but also assisting residents in cleaning their flood-affected homes to speed up the recovery process.
Sanitation workers from various municipalities across the state have been mobilised to carry out cleaning duties.The efforts have gained momentum in every division where floodwaters have subsided. While the main roads have been cleared, some areas are still choking under stagnant water on arterial roads. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials, using JCB machines, are creating pathways to divert the standing water. This apart, diesel-powered pumps are being used to drain water in other areas.
The VMC and fire department personnel are helping residents clean their homes in the worst-affected areas. Given the threat of poisonous snakes in flood-hit areas, authorities have urged residents and workers to take precautions while entering homes. Safety shoes, masks, and protective gears have been provided to municipal staff involved in the cleaning task. Volunteers from across the state have joined the cause under the slogan ‘Help Vijayawada.’ Moreover, aid from various states is being transported to the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. From there, it is being distributed to flood victims via special vehicles. NTR district collector G. Srujana and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Nani are overseeing the relief efforts to ensure that help reaches to all those in need of it.
The civil supplies department has also returned to the field, preparing essential relief kits consisting of rice, dal, and cooking oil for immediate distribution to flood victims. Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar has directed officials to ensure an orderly distribution of these kits, with police assistance to avoid any crowd-related issues.
The distribution is set to begin Friday morning along BRTS road.
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