Akshya Patra Foundation distributes food to flood-effected people in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 9 (ANI): Amidst the ongoing flood crisis in Andhra Pradesh, the Akshaya Patra Foundation provided critical food support to impacted individuals and families.

Sriman Vamsadhara Dasa, President Hare Krishna, said that under the instructions of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Minister Narayana, they provided food three times a day to those affected.

“We are located at the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Mangalagiri, which served as a central hub for food distribution during the recent floods in Vijayawada. Under the instructions of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Minister Narayana, we provided food three times a day to those affected,” he said.

“On the first day, we served 60,000 people, which increased to 1.5 lakh people on the second day. By day 14, we had provided food to 3.3 lakh people. Government officials supported us in delivering food to those in need,” he added.

“Our centralised kitchen, equipped with the latest technology, enabled us to cook for 60,000 people at a time while maintaining high-quality and hygienic food standards,” Hare Krishna said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army continued its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to contain critical breaches by using Gabion baskets in Vijayawada amid the ongoing floods in Andhra Pradesh.

“The Indian Army HADR operations column has been pro actively addressing the situation in Vijayawada following breaches in three critical locations. The initial breaches, identified as Breach 1 and Breach 2, each ranging from 10-15 meters in width, have been temporarily plugged by the Civil administration stabilising the situation momentarily.” said an official statement.

However, the temporary solution to plug the two breaches led to a funnelling effect, which increased the water flow at the third breach. “This temporary solution has led to a funnelling effect, increasing the water flow significantly at the third breach site, which spans approximately 80-100 meters. The water current at this location is currently between 6-8 knots, with projections suggesting it might escalate to 10-12 knots.” the statement added.

The HADR team is reportedly going to use Gabion and HESCO baskets to contain the breaches in critical areas.

According to the statement, “The team plans to employ a robust two-layer strategy using Gabion baskets, each measuring 5x2x2 meters. These baskets will be stacked atop one another and filled with stones to fortify the breach. Following the placement of the Gabion baskets, a protective bund reaching up to 4 meters in height will be constructed, accompanied by necessary earthwork to support the outer side of the baskets.”

The Indian Navy has also continued its relief and rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh. The Flood Relief Teams (FTR) evacuated people to safety and distributed food to affected households.