Villagers await rescue boat as Godavari river reaches alarming levels

West Godavari (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 18 (ANI): Villagers awaited rescue boats after the Godavari river reached an alarming level in the Achanta Mandal of the West Godavari district on Tuesday.
The island villages including Ayodhya Lanka have been flooded with river water. The rise in water level has damaged the crops in the region.
Villagers appealed to the authorities to send boats to rescue them.
A woman from Ayodhya Lanka, who was waiting for the boat since morning said, “We live in a hut made of leafy roof, which is now damaged due to floodwaters including the household items.”
“People are saying that boat is coming but boatman is demanding Rs 1,500. How can we bear the expense,” she asked.
She urged the authorities to rescue her family and take them to a shelter. “Otherwise we have to spend the day in this water only,” she said.
Another villager said, “We have been staying in the water since last night but no boat has come to rescue us. We even tried reaching the officials and none of them picking the phone.”
“How should we survive in this situation with old people and children?” asked the villager. (ANI)