Motu residents get a feel of ‘Polavaram Effect’

OST Bureau

Kalimela, Aug 5:

Residents of Motu panchayat in Malkangiri district got a feel of the ‘Polavaram effect’ as flood water rising two feet high inundated their villages.

The rise of the water level in River Sileru on the left of Motu and River Saveri on its right, both of which drain into the Godavari on the other side of the border with Andhra Pradesh, has spread panic in the village.

The ongoing construction of Polavaram project on Godavari has checked the flow of water leading to floods in several villages under Motu panchayat. Kataguda, Pinamajipur, Mukanpali,Gharsapalli and Kusanpali villages of Motu panchayat on the banks of Sileru river have been marooned. Similarly, Baribanjha, Motu, Binayakpur, Muraliguda, Aalma, Peta and Kondapali villages on the banks of Saveri have also been inundated with flood water.

With roads completely washed out, these villages remained cut off from the outside world. Traffic on the National Highway number 6 which connects Andhra and Chhattisgarh came to a halt as 15 feet high flood water flowed over the highway at Bhirapuram and Chidipur. 200 hectares of agricultural land in Motu area has been submerged by the floods.