Upset over the delay in providing food and water to the victims of the cyclone and the floods, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday told officials they would face the music if they failed to rise to the occasion.
He ordered the suspension of the Kaviti Mandal Development Officer after receiving complaints from residents of the affected villages.
Mr. Naidu, who visited several areas for the second consecutive day, held an emergency meeting with Collector K. Dhananjaya Reddy and Joint Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu in Palasa town which was also devastated. He said more than 70% of the victims were complaining about delay in relief operations.
He said normalcy should be restored by Sunday morning in almost all the villages of the 18 mandals where 2.25 lakh people were eagerly waiting for help. Clearing fallen trees, removal of garbage, cleaning drainage systems and fogging in flood-affected areas would have to be done immediately. Special teams of officials, staff and sanitation workers from various districts, including East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram, have been brought in.
Water supply
Following a directive from the Chief Minister, the district administration has decided to bring more generators to fetch water from 19 multi-village water supply schemes. All of them had become defunct in the impact of the storm.
Water would be supplied to 377 villages by tankers for a couple of days more. Road network would be improved in affected areas.
Earlier, Mr. Naidu visited Rattakanna village which was submerged by the flood water of the Bahuda river. Later, he met people of Balliputtuga village near Sompeta. He promised ₹10,000 each for damaged houses. He also promised to supply ₹25 kg rice, pulses, sugar and other essentials free of cost and 50 kg rice for each fisherman’s family.