KHAMMAM: The Munneru river is in full fury again this season after a gap of 30 years, leaving several people stranded in floodwaters.
Many residents, whose homes were inundated, were unable to cook and some even lacked drinking water. Rani, along with her four children, in Karnagiri, Khammam Rural mandal, climbed to the roof of their house at 5 am on Sunday. With no one coming to their rescue or providing food, she sent a video plea to her relatives, requesting help from officials. .
Another family, stranded in floodwaters in Bokkalagadda, Khammam district, pleaded with Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao to rescue them. A woman from Bokkalagadda said the floodwaters had damaged the walls of their house, and she feared it might collapse at any moment.
This is not the plight of just two families; residents of as many as 25 colonies in Khammam city, close to the Munneru river, are distressed as water has surrounded their houses up to 10 feet high. The persons affected are appealing to the government for assistance and relocation to safer places.
Encroachments to blame?
Locals noted that it had been 30 years since they last witnessed such a disaster in the city. Some people alleged that unauthorised construction near Munneru is one of the reasons for the current situation. As a precaution, officials cut off the power supply in the affected areas, leaving around 25 colonies in darkness on Sunday night. While some people left their homes in the morning, most remain trapped in their houses, surrounded by 5 to 10 feet of water. .
Flood victims in Prakashnagar alleged that there was no help from the government, despite three ministers representing the erstwhile Khammam district. They raised slogans when Nageswara Rao visited the area.
A Suresh Sharma, a resident of Motinagar in Khammam, stated that due to the failure to widen side drains, water was not flowing freely and flooded the colony. He appealed to the administration to provide shelter as many residents are still trapped in their homes.
K Lavanya, a resident of Ramannapet in the city, said that water entered her house suddenly, forcing her to leave all her belongings behind and escape with just her clothes.
Meanwhile, five people were swept away by floodwaters in the district, and the bodies of three have been found. The search for the remaining two are ongoing.
The Khammam-Hyderabad highway was closed due to flooding at the Palair weir and bypass road, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway. Several roads in Khammam were also flooded, disrupting vehicular traffic.
Efforts on to rescue stranded people, says Ponguleti
A house near the weir was flooded, and three persons — SK Yakub (48), his wife Saida Bi (42) and their son Sharif — were swept away by the waters. While the condition of Yakub and Saida Bi remains unknown, locals managed to rescue Sharif.
With about 1,60,000 cusecs of floodwater entering the Palair reservoir, authorities discharged water from the weir. The couple was engaged in brickmaking. The three climbed to the roof of their house and waited for the floodwaters to recede, but the water level only increased, and a wall of their house collapsed, resulting in all three being washed away.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy expressed shock upon hearing this news. He said, “We have requested the Navy and Air Force to send choppers, but due to bad weather, they are not coming forward. We are trying our level best to rescue trapped people.”
In another incident, the body of N Padmavathi (34), a resident of Dendukur in Madhira mandal, was recovered from the village tank. She was swept away by floods while grazing cattle. Additionally, the bodies of Kalluri Ilamaiah (70) and Tati Ademma (65) were found on Sunday at Venkatapuram village in Aswapuram mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district, a day after they were washed away in Lotus tank. NDRF teams were trying to rescue 15 persons who got trapped in Teerdala and Valya tandas in Khammam district.
Meanwhile, the continuous rains have badly affected paddy and cotton crops in both districts. According to Bhadradri Kothagudem agriculture officials, paddy and cotton crops on about 2,982 acres were damaged. Additionally, the downpour wreaked havoc on crops on thousands of acres in Khammam district as well.
Bhatti monitors rescue ops
The water level in the Godavari river rose at Bhadrachalam, and several tanks and streams were overflowing in the two districts under the impact of the heavy downpour. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka visited many affected places in Madhira and Khammam and monitored rescue operations. He also conducted a video conference with officials and gave instructions to prevent loss of life and damage to property.
Manuguru residents complain of flooding
Residents of Manuguru town are grappling with many issues as the majority of their neighbourhoods are inundated with rainwater. The waters have flooded several colonies, and residents are facing the additional threat of snakes and other reptiles entering their homes. According to local officials, the town recorded a substantial rainfall of 16.5 cm in just seven hours. Locals said that they had not witnessed such heavy rainfall in the past three decades.