KURNOOL: Heavy rains and floods claimed three lives and disrupted normalcy in several parts of Kurnool district since Friday night. Minor rivers and streams are in spate and have washed away roads in several parts of the district. Officials released 39,868 cusecs of water into the Handri River and canals. Two-year-old Jaswanth Yadhav and his cousin Lalithamma, 10, died, and four other children were injured when a house in Molagavalli village of Aluru mandal collapsed in the rain.
The police said Jaswanth, from Lingadalli village in Karnataka, and Lalithamma, from Molagavalli village, had come with their families for a wedding. When their parents were busy with the function, a group of children was playing in the old house, which suddenly collapsed. Jaswanth and Lalithamma died while being taken to hospital, while four others suffered minor injuries.
In another incident, an 18-year-old Intermediate student, Chandra, from Neravada village in Kallur mandal, got washed away in the floodwater of Vakkerivagu while he was crossing a bridge. His body was found on a tree three km away. The locals managed to save another youngster, who was also being washed away. At Pagidirai village in Tuggali mandal, a car got stuck on a bridge over the swollen Sudda Vagu stream. Four people in it were rescued by the locals.
Flooding rivers and streams breached culverts and snapped road links at about 15 places in the district. With overflowing floodwater, roads at Hagari and Holagunda were washed away, cutting off road connectivity between Bellary in Karnataka and Adoni of Kurnool district. Several villages by the River Handri, and low-lying colonies in Kurnool city, such as Sareen Nagar, Ayyappanagar, Old Kallur, Indiramma katta, Bhudavarapeta, Chittarigeri, Vaddegeri and Joharapuram, were inundated. Fear spread among the locals as water entered their houses.
Kurnool, Pathikonda, Alur, Yemmiganur, Dhone, Atmakur, Adoni, Panyam, Kodumur and Nandyal Assembly constituencies were badly affected, and agriculture wells, minor irrigation tanks and streams are overflowing in several places. Gajuladinne Project (GDP) officials released 39,868 cusecs of water into the Handri river and canals, while it was receiving 60,000 cusecs of water from rains and other sources. Water levels in the project now stand at 4.3 TMC as against the full storage capacity of 4.5 TMC. Discharge from the project was what increased the flood levels in Handri.
Handri bank colonies put on high alert
Kurnool district received an average rainfall of 29.30 cm in the 24 hours ending 8 am Saturday. Pathikonda, with 106.20 cm, received the highest rainfall in the district. District Collector G Veerapandian along with SP K Fakeerappa, Kurnool Municipal Commissioner DK Balaji, Joint Collector Pattanshetty Ravi Subhash, and MLA MA Hafeez Khan, visited flood-affected areas in the city. He told officials to stop transportation between regions where floodwater was overflowing on bridges. A high alert has been sounded in colonies on the Handri river bank. At 10 pm, the water discharge rate was 42,056 cusecs, and is expected to rise.
Srisailam level may go up
Heavy discharge is likely to reach Sunkesula Barrage on Sunday due to downpour in the sub-basins of River Tungabhadra, as per the Central Water Commission’s flood forecast and advisory. With steady inflows from Jurala, Sunkesula and Handri rivers, the water level in Srisailam reservoir has shot up to 852.5 ft as of 7 pm Saturday and it is expected to further rise with discharges from Sunkesula.
“Due to heavy rainfall in sub-basin of Hagari, Vedavati, middle and lower Tungabhadra, heavy inflows are likely to reach Sunkesula Barrage between Sunday morning and afternoon. The barrage is likely to get about 26,000 cusecs of water. The release from the barrage will give additional inflows to Srikakulam reservoir in Kurnool district till Sunday evening.
Further inflows depend on the intensity of the rain,” the CWC’s forecast said. As of 7 pm, about 13,000 cusecs of water is reaching Srisailam from Sunkesula Barrage. The inflow was recorded to be 36,300 cusecs. Officials are gearing up to operate Pothireddypadu Head Regulator to meet the needs of Rayalaseema.
Expect More rains in next five days: IMD
The Southwest monsoon on Saturday was normal over coastal Andhra Pradesh and vigorous over Rayalaseema. Heavy rainfall occurred in parts of Kurnool and isolated places in Anantapur and Kadapa. The IMD said light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely at many places across the state for five days