NALGONDA: Inflows into the Nagarjuna Sagar project were rising by the hour on Monday. Tourists, looking to witness the majestic views, too swarmed the dam. Officials said this was the first time in 10 years that all 26 crest gates of the dam were lifted. Tourists from both Telugu states, on knowing this information, rushed to the place.
Early in the morning, only around 100 people were at the dam. By the afternoon, as many as 80,000 had visited it. Roads leading to the place were jammed from nearly 5km on the Macherla side. The police did not allow any vehicles near the dam and stopped them at the old police station around 3km from it. The elderly were largely unable to walk the distance and had to go back home disappointed.
Selfie turns dangerous
Meanwhile, one Shaik Nagul Meera (35), a resident of Gurajala of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh was washed away by the water while trying to take a selfie on the old bridge located on the right bank canal. Locals feared he had died. Police and NDRF teams launched a search and rescue operation and managed to save him. He was rushed to the local government hospital where is undergoing treatment. Earlier in the day, one Narasimha (41) was washed away while visiting the Shivalayam Pushkara Ghat.
One washed away at Pushkara Ghat near NSP
Nalgonda: One person was washed away at the Shivalayam Pushkara Ghat near the Nagarjuna Sagar project on Monday. M Narasimha, 41, a resident of Sangareddy, was there to see the water being released through the dam’s crest gates. The dam officials, unbeknownst to Narasimha, had lifted several crest gates within minutes of his arrival at the place.
The water gushed towards him and before he could escape, he was swept away. His friends tried to rescue him but could not do much due to the heavy flow. The previous night collector Gaurav Uppal had directed officials to alert people living on the river banks but there was no one to warn the tourists at Pushkara Ghat