Krishna river floods have submerged about 40 villages and so far one flood-related death is reported in Guntur district.

About 30,000 flood victims have taken shelter in 64 relief camps in Guntur district. District Collector, P S R Anjaneyulu has assured food and clean drinking water to the inmates of the camps and appealed to all people living in 64 vulnerable villages in 15 taluks along the 300 km river to vacate their homes.

Mediapersons, covering the flood battered areas, spotted two persons perched on a tree near Regullagadda village crying for help. The mediapersons alerted the authorities to rescue them.

Some villagers have taken shelter atop hillocks as their villages have been inundated in the district. The Pulichintala project, under construction, on the river Krishna is completely submerged.

Ten lakh cusecs of water in the swollen Krishna river has cascaded from the Prakasam barrage at Vijayawada down the stream and grave concern is expressed about the ability of the flood banks to withstand the fierce pounding by the swirling river.

Though engineers have assured the public that the flood banks were designed to take 11 lakh cusecs of water, they are not complacent. The engineers have started strengthening the weak points in the flood banks.