SURYAPETA: Two days after the Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple was submerged, Krishna water entered into the Mattapally village in the wee hours of Friday. The revenue and police officials were forced to shift around 10 to 15 families to rehabilitation camp set up at Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam kalyana mandapam on outskirts of village.
It is to be noted that during the construction of the Pulichinthala project itself, the officials had spotted Mattapally village as prone to flooding and the government had paid compensation to 200 houses and shop owners and had also allotted plots to the oustees near Nagarjuna Cement Factory for constructing new houses.
However, despite the warnings from officials concerned, several villagers continued to live in the village without shifting to safe places.
The flooding started with the Krishna water entering the Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple on Wednesday and the authorities were forced to close the temple.
As the water level continued to increase, the priests and other temple officials shifted the valuable materials in the Garba Gudi (sanctum sanctorum), including gold and silver ornaments and the Utsava Vigrahalu, to a safe place.
Nagarjuna Sagar levels increase
The water levels in Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir has been on rise for a few days now. Water level in the reservoir had reached 585.70 feet on Friday, whereas threshold level is 590 feet. Meanwhile, number of tourists who arrive to visit reservoir is also increasing