ONGOLE/KURNOOL: Parts of Ongole district bore the brunt of heavy rains on Saturday, with streams overflowing, snapping road connectivity to several villages. Two people were washed away in the gushing waters, while four workers and a child were rescued from getting washed away.
In Kurnool district, Nandyal town was submerged, while in Anantapur district, road connectivity between Guntakal and Bellary was cut off, with streams running over culverts. Ongole was the worst affected as uninterrupted rains lashed the district since Friday night and most of Giddaluru was submerged.
In Ballikuruva mandal, two students were washed away in the overflowing waters of Turpu Vaagu stream near Ambavaram village. Locals rescued one of them, and a search is on for the other. Three youngsters who were crossing a culvert near Naguluppalapadu were washed away in the overflowing waters on Saturday morning. Two of them were rescued, and the third is missing. Water from Kothacheruvu passed over culverts on the Chirala-Naguluppalapadu-Ongole road resulting in traffic congestion. Several low-lying areas and colonies were inundated.
Flood hits Nandyal town, high alert issued in low-lying areas in Kurnool
Meanwhile, a tractor carrying four workers was washed away in the Gundlakamma stream when it was passing over a low-level culvert near Raavipadu village in Cumbham mandal. They four workers were rescued by locals. With heavy rains in catchment areas, rivulets and streams are receiving heavy inflows and some of them, Gundlakamma, Sagileru, Jampaleru, Turpu Vaagu and Ramanna Kathuva near Racherla are in spate.
Cumbham village tank is getting heavy inflows and several low-lying areas of Giddaluru town, including Nataraj, Srinivasa theatres area, Nandyal Road, Srinivasa Nagar, Kongalaveedu Road and Viswabharathi School got inundated. Police, revenue and disaster management officials visited the affected areas and are monitoring rescue and relief operations. In Giddalur, revenue officials distributed food to people.
District Collector Pola Bhaskar told officials to stay at their headquarters and take up relief and rescue measures in the flood-affected areas on a war footing. In the last 24 hours, Prakasam district received 440.8 mm rainfall while 14 of the 56 mandals received heavy rains with more than 104 mm rainfall. Racherala mandal received the highest rainfall of 186.2 mm while Yerragondapalem received the lowest of 8.4 mm. In Kurnool district, many areas in Nandyal town were submerged. Around 9 cm rainfall was recorded between Friday night and Saturday morning, and poor drainage facilities left residential colonies submerged.
District Collector G Veera Pandian visited the submerged colonies on a rotovator vehicle and monitored the shifting of trapped residents of SC Colony to safer places. Meanwhile, the Kurnool district administration announced a high alert in low-lying areas, particularly at Nandyal, where several villages and colonies were inundated. A total of 180.06 mm rainfall was recorded, with the highest in Bandi Atmakur mandal and Uyyalawada.
With constant rains, FC Faram village in Mahanandi mandal was completely submerged with floodwater entering residential areas. Agricultural tanks and streams were overflowing and road links to Nandyal, Allagadda, Rudravaram, Atmakur, Kothapalli, Nandikotkur, Sirivella and Bandi Atmakur were snapped.
Fire services, police and revenue departments were put on alert to vacate flood-affected people.
Speaking to TNIE, District Fire Officer Sreenivasa Reddy said their teams have rescued three on-duty forest watchers who were trapped in flash floods at Pangidi Vagu Base Camp in the deep forest near Velugodu. The Atmakur fire unit rescued them with ropes and life jackets, he added. Veera Pandian has directed the officials concerned to caution people to be alert as there are chances of floodwater entering villages.
Streams overflowing
In Anantapur district, the Donekallu stream between Guntakal and Orvakal overflowed and snapped road connectivity between Guntakal and Bellary in Karnakata. The Bugga Ramalingeswara Swamy rivulet on the outskirts of Tadipatri is also overflowing
More rains expected
The Met department has said heavy rainfall is expected in isolated places of Andhra Pradesh in the next four days