Chandrababu Naidu visits flood-affected Vijayawada in a boat

Vijayawada, Sep 1 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Sunday visited some flood-hit areas in Vijayawada and assured the affected families that the government would render them all possible assistance.

Ignoring the advice of his security officials, the Chief Minister went around the flooded areas in a boat to have a first-hand assessment of the situation.

He directed the authorities to shift the affected families to safe places.

Naidu visited Ajith Singh Nagar which was flooded after the Budameru canal breached.

He wanted officials to take steps to ensure that there was no loss of life.

He said that he had never seen such a calamity in Vijayawada city.

Ajith Singh Nagar and surrounding areas turned into virtual lakes as water from Budameru entered houses.

Authorities shifted the people from flooded areas to safe places and relief camps. Senior citizens say that they have not seen such floods during the last 50 years.

Later, the Chief Minister cancelled his visit to Hyderabad and decided to stay in the NTR District Collector's office in Vijayawada to oversee the rescue and relief works.

He said he would stay here till normalcy returned to Vijayawada.

Officials were to make arrangements to turn the Collector's office into a camp office for the Chief Minister.

If necessary, Naidu will have a night halt in the bus to monitor the ongoing relief operations.

Home Minister V. Anita and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Chinni were accompanying the Chief Minister in the Collector's office.

The Vijayawada MP made arrangements to supply 6,000 food packets to people in the affected areas.

Heavy rains under the impact of depression in the Bay of Bengal and active monsoon during the last two days left a trail of destruction in Vijayawada, Guntur, and some other towns.

Though the depression crossed the coast early in the early hours of Sunday, rains continued to lash several parts of the state.

Authorities have declared a holiday for educational institutions on Monday in view of the forecast of more rains.

Earlier, the Chief Minister told TDP activists across the state to extend all possible assistance to all the flood-hit victims.

Through a teleconference with the party leaders and activists in the state, Chief Minister Naidu said since the unexpected floods hit the state on a large scale, loss of lives could be brought down with the preventive measures.

Recalling that even while in Opposition, the TDP extended possible help to the people spending their own funds, the Chief Minister said that whenever the TDP is in power all measures have been taken to see to it that the people would not face any inconvenience.

Asking the party activists to actively take part in the relief measures, CM Naidu said that all those who are on the Krishna River basin should stand by the people.

"If the government's assistance is necessary, inform the authorities concerned immediately," he added.