Deekshitula SubrahmanyamRajamahendravaram

EastGodavari district collector Kirti Chekuri has directed officials of the Panchayat Raj and Irrigation departments to take up restoration of the severely damaged Karicharlagudem–Sanjeevapuram road in Gopalapuram mandal on a war footing to ensure that people do not face inconvenience.

The collector inspected the damaged road on Tuesday and reviewed the losses caused by the impact of Cyclone Morusu and the subsequent heavy rains and floods. Officials informed her that nearly 320 metres of the road had been completely washed away, while another 700 metres had developed severe damage, with portions tilting to one side and sinking due to the floodwater.

Kirti Chekuri directed officials to take precautionary measures to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of commuters. Officials informed her that temporary restoration works had already been taken up by the Panchayat Raj department. She instructed them to expedite permanent restoration measures.

The collector asked the Irrigation department to install pipelines at the breached locations to regulate and divert the floodwater according to the flow conditions. The Panchayat Raj department was directed to undertake necessary repairs and reconstruction of the damaged road. She stressed that both departments should work in close coordination and complete the works at the earliest.

The collector said she had been touring cyclone-affected areas of Gopalapuram mandal for the past three days to assess the situation. Heavy rainfall of nearly 60 mm within five hours, coupled with massive inflows from upper catchment areas, had resulted in breaches in several tanks and extensive damage, she said.

Strong winds and heavy rains had severely affected paddy and banana crops. The crop enumeration process was currently underway on a large scale to assess the losses, she added.