VIJAYAWADA: NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha on Wednesday urged people not to believe “any rumours on social media or elsewhere about floods in Budameru,” advising citizens to remain calm and rely only on official updates. He said a special team is monitoring Budameru water flow from the Velagaleru regulator and clarified that water stagnation in parts of the city is ‘purely due to local rains, not flooding from Budameru.’
Residents would be alerted 24 hours in advance before any water release, which would only occur after relocating people from vulnerable areas, he added. He urged people to call the Collectorate Control Room (91549 70454) for any clarifications and to avoid believing or spreading unverified information. The Collector declared a holiday for all government and private schools on Thursday across the district.
Lakshmisha, along with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner HM Dhyanachandra, inspected vulnerable areas, including Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road, Nirmala Convent Road, Gunadala St. John’s School ESI Road, Devinagar, and Madhyakatta. He held a teleconference with Irrigation, Revenue, Panchayat Raj, and Municipal officials, directing them to remain on high alert for the next two to three days as inflows from Pulichintala, Munneru, and catchment areas could push Krishna River flood levels towards 5 lakh cusecs. Special flood monitoring teams have been set up at the village and ward secretariat level to work round-the-clock. Instructions include installing flood warning boards, regular microphone announcements in catchment villages, and continuous checks at Budameru, Munneru and Pulivagu streams.
