The inundation of streets abutting the famous Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam under the impact of the Godavari floods signals the apparent submergence threat posed by the Polavaram project under construction in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to the Telangana's temple town, said CPI(M) State secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram.
The heavy rain-induced prevailing flood misery in Bhadrachalam has yet again brought to the fore the temple town's vulnerability to the potential threat of submergence once the Polavaram project is completed, he said after visiting the flood-affected areas of Bhadrachalam, where the Godavari receded slightly to 44 feet, one feet above the first warning level, on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Veerabhadram made a whirlwind tour of the flood affected areas in Bhadrachalam town and in Dummugudem mandal.
He was accompanied by the party Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Khammam district secretaries A Kanakaiah and N Nageswara Rao.
He visited the flood affected AMC Colony and Kotha Colony, besides the flood relief camp at a local school in the temple town.
Later, speaking to newsmen, he charged the State government with failing to assess the flood threat and make arrangements like deployment of boats in the flood prone areas in Bhadrachalam Agency in advance.
The CPI (M) has forewarned the ruling dispensation about the flood threat faced by Bhadrachalam. "The persons at the helm have neglected Bhadradri and confined themselves to mere rhetoric statements without any concrete measures to find a lasting solution to the recurring flooding woes of people living in the Godavari river side habitations," he charged.
He demanded that the government sanction double bedroom houses to the flood affected people and provide succour to the affected families.
Amid drizzle, Mr Veerabhadram and the district level leaders visited the Godavari flood affected Sunnam Bhatti and Kasinagaram villages in Dummugudem mandal on motorbikes.
While interacting with the villagers at Kasinagaram, Mr Veerabhadram said the consent of the Gram Sabha is mandatory for the proposed Sitamma Sagar multipurpose project.
Referring to the new project proposed by the State government envisaging construction of a barrage across the Godavari river downstream of the existing Dummugudem anicut in Aswapuram mandal, he said the detailed project report be made public and the gram sabha's consent be obtained before going ahead with the project.
Recalling the mass movement organised by the party on behalf of the land oustees of the Mallannasagar project in the erstwhile undivided Medak district, he said the party has explored legal options to safeguard the interests of the land oustees.
Later, he toured the rain hit agricultural fields in Enkoor mandal of Khammam district.
He said the rain and flood fury over the last few days resulted in extensive loss of green gram crop and significant damage to cotton among other crops.
He demanded that the government provide ₹40,000 compensation per acre to each rain-hit farmer.
The Telangana Girijana Sangham district secretary B Veerabhadram and the Telangana Rythu Sangham district secretary B Rambabu accompanied him.