Vijayawada grapples with floods; power utages and traffic jams persist

Life was completely thrown out of gear in Vijayawada following torrential downpours over the past three days and with more than 24 hours of power cuts in several parts of the city. There was severe disruption to internet and mobile telephone connectivity, and long traffic jams disrupted normal life, including connectivity to Hyderabad. Transportation within Vijayawada city and its vicinity is in a chaotic situation. While there is no way to reach Hyderabad even through Khammam, expect a slight possibility via the Piduguralla route. "The flood waters situation is the same. Water levels reduced just a little and rainfall resumed. There are fears that power connectivity will not be restored until the water level subsides," M Sailaja, an Ajit Singh Nagar resident told PTI on Monday. Ajit Singh Nagar is one of the worst affected localities in Vijayawada, which bore the brunt of Budameru floods, a rivulet on the outskirts of the city.