Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. | Photo Credit: File Photo Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the ‘war on floods’ in Vijayawada was about to end in a day or two as the government worked tirelessly over the last nine days to mitigate the suffering of about seven lakh people.Addressing media persons after visiting Ajith Singh Nagar in the city on Monday, Mr. Naidu said the government was taken aback by the scale of the disaster but quickly set itself in a mission mode to control the damage. But unfortunately, up to 30 persons have died, and the property damages have been extensive. The enumeration of damages has begun, and the ways to help the people recoup their losses are being worked out. He observed that a huge number of people lost their livelihoods, and the value of damaged private properties, including household appliances, was being quantified. A private company has been roped in to make necessary repairs to the houses.He asserted that the government spared no effort to help the flood victims and that the manner in which drones were deployed (for surveillance, delivering food and medicines, and bleaching work) was a revelation. Mr. Naidu said that while the government grappled with the grim situation, the YSR Congress Party was playing petty politics over the floods. Some YSRCP leaders were suspected of being behind the crashing of five boats (each weighing roughly 30 Metric Tons) into the Prakasam barrage when the flood touched its peak. Moreover, the YSRCP government failed to reinforce the Budameru diversion channel and turned a blind eye to the encroachments that occurred in the last five years. Asked whether the people were satisfied with the flood relief measures, Mr. Naidu said they were feeling a bit relaxed as the government worked on war-footing and succeeded in ending their woes to a large extent. He said he was indebted to the people for protesting against his illegal arrest in the skill development scam case exactly a year ago, and irrespective of that, he would always be at their beck and call, especially during such crises. Published – September 09, 2024 11:05 pm IST