Island villages part of river, people should vacate during floods: Andhra Pradesh government advisor

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The lankas (island villages) located in the bed of the river are part of the Godavari, said irrigation adviser to State government Dr P Ramaraju. He said that there is no alternative to cultivators except vacating the land at the time of floods. 

"These are fertile lands, but not patta lands. To my knowledge, nobody can claim ownership to these lands," Ramaraju, who worked as assistant conservator at Dowleswaram barrage during the 1986 flood, said.

Now all eyes are on submerged island villages in Godavari districts. These islands formed due to changes in the course of the river. There are 51 island villages in Konaseema district, six in East Godavari district  and 24 in West Godavari district. These islands spread between branches of Gowthami, Vasista and Vynatheya rivers.

Six island villages are located in Akhanda Godavari near Rajamahendravaram. Ramaraju said island villagers should cooperate with the government officials at the time of floods. They are sitting in river beds and refusing to vacate is not proper, he said.

"We have raised the flood banks' height by an extra three feet  after the 1986 floods in Godavari districts. The length of the flood banks is 540km," he said. "There is no need to panic over huge inflows of floodwater in the Godavari river. I expect that 28 to 30 lakh cusecs of water may discharge through Cotton Barrage," he said.