VIJAYAWADA: Heavy rains disrupted normal life on Sunday in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district, Eluru in West Godavari and Visakhapatnam district. There were light rains reported from Vizianagaram, Guntur, and parts of Prakasam district.
In Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, flooded roads caused traffic chaos. Most of the day people were forced to keep indoors and in some areas of both the cities, power disruptions were reported. According to weathermen, heavy to very heavy rains are likely on Monday in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur districts. In view of the warning from the Met department, officials were put on alert.
In view of heavy rain forecast for next 24 hours, the holiday was declared on Monday for educational institutions in both Krishna and West Godavari districts.
A rainfall of 7.3 cm was recorded in Nandigama of Krishna district, followed by 6.1 cm in Vijayawada. In the evening reports from Visakhapatnam indicated that rainfall in the city stood at 7.7 cm.
Meanwhile, floods in Godavari river started receding and water levels at Dowleswaram Barrage stood 12.4 feet and outflows at 11.24 lakh cusecs.
However, the first warning is being continued. East Godavari district collector Karthikeya Mishra said following flood warning in Sabari river, district machinery was put on alert.
More than 60 villages in agency areas of West Godavari remained cut off from the outside world. Efforts are being made to shift the people from affected areas to safer locations. With rains battering different parts of the district, water levels in water bodies reached danger signals. Krishna river at Prakasam Barrage received copious inflows.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took stock of flood situation in the State and asked the officials concerned to shift the people from low-lying areas to safer locations. Officials should prevent people from crossing overflowing causeways and bridges, he said.
Around 200 devotees got struck at Gubbala Mangamma temple in Buttayagudem of West Godavari district when there was a flash flood in the stream passing by the temple. On being alerted, police and fire service personnel started the rescue operation.
They decided to bring out the devotees after the flood in the stream receded. When Naidu enquired about the incident, district collector K Bhaskar said that all the devotees were safe and even one of the missing persons was rescued by fire service personnel.