Fishermen in flood-hit Vijayawada blame Govt for their woes

Fishermen in flood-hit Vijayawada on Tuesday blamed Government apathy for their woes even as floodwaters were receding, leaving them with tattered nets and damaged boats.

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), June 26 : Fishermen in flood-hit Vijayawada on Tuesday blamed Government apathy for their woes even as floodwaters were receding, leaving them with tattered nets and damaged boats.

As many as 300 fishing families in Vijayawada bore the brunt of the floods.

The fishermen complained that the State Government was doing nothing to bail them out.

"The floods usually come at night, since our nets are spread out during that time, they all get damaged. Many of our small boats have also been severely damaged in these floods," said Lakshmaih, a fisherman.

They alleged that government officials visit the area pretending to share their trouble but go away and do nothing.

Andhra Pradesh has been reeling under heavy rains for the past several days.

The worst affected is the Kurnool District where more than 50 people have died and 200,000 people are homeless.

Authorities say they have already distributed half a million food packets and a million water sachets to people in 300 relief centers.

About 5,000 medical teams are touring the affected areas to prevent outbreak of major diseases as the flood water receded.

ANI