Provide Immediate Rehabilitation to Godavari Flood Victims: YS Sharmila

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President YS Sharmila has urged the state government to provide immediate rehabilitation to people displaced by the Godavari floods and accelerate relief operations in all affected areas. She alleged that the government was paying more attention to praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi than addressing the hardships faced by flood-hit families.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Sharmila said that more than 20,000 people had been displaced due to the floods and criticized the government for failing to act despite advance warnings about the rising water levels. She stated that several villages had been inundated, thousands of families had lost their homes and belongings, and nearly 100 villages continued to face the threat of flooding.

Questioning the government's preparedness, Sharmila asked why residents of vulnerable villages were not evacuated to safer locations before floodwaters entered their settlements. She also sought an explanation for the delay in implementing Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) packages, despite authorities being aware of the impending flood situation.

The APCC chief further accused the government of focusing more on defending the Prime Minister against criticism than responding to the suffering of people who had lost their homes. She said the concerns of families forced to flee submerged villages deserved immediate attention and a stronger humanitarian response.

Sharmila called on the government to continue supporting flood-affected families until conditions returned to normal. She stressed that relief camps should be equipped with uninterrupted supplies of food, safe drinking water, essential commodities, and medical services. She also urged the government to provide special healthcare and nutritional support for children and pregnant women staying in relief shelters.

She further demanded the immediate implementation of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package for families from villages affected by the Polavaram Project. Ensuring permanent rehabilitation in safe locations with improved civic amenities, she said, is the government's responsibility and should be carried out without further delay.