ANANTAPUR: Even as floodwaters began receding in Anantapur town, Rivers Penna and Chitravathi are in spate following heavy inflows from upper catchment areas in Karnataka. Road connectivity to several villages in Sri Satya Sai district was cut off as causeways and bridges were under a sheet of water on Friday.
Around 40 passengers, travelling in a private bus, had a narrow escape when the vehicle was stranded in a flash flood while crossing a low-level bridge on Peddavanka rivulet on Kadiri-Gorantla highway in the district. Local youth and police swung into action and evacuated the passengers using a rope.
Road connectivity between Hindupur and several villages was also affected as a bridge at Pochanapalli was washed away due to floods. With Srikantapuram and Kotnuru tanks overflowing, vehicular traffic between Hindupur, Kadiri and Gorantla came to a grinding halt. A truck was stranded in the floodwater of Kotnuru tank.
After three days of flood fury in Anantapur town, normalcy returned as water started to recede in Santhi Nagar, Somnath Nagar, 5th and 6th roads. Over 16 residential colonies were inundated following continuous rainfall and overflowing of Nadimi Vanka due to encroachments. Nearly 2,300 people were shifted to relief centres over the past three days. On Friday, many people returned to their homes.
In Kadapa, water was released into Mylavaram reservoir from Gandikota at the rate of 45,000 cusecs and at 60,000 cusecs into river Penna from Mylavaram reservoir. Pageru stream is in full spate, resulting in traffic disruption on Kamalapuram-Khajipeta road.