Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

Downpour hits life in Anantapur, Kurnool

Staff Reporter

Forty villages, most of them in Nandyal, marooned in flood waters

Monsoon blues: An inundated street at Gulzarpet in Anantapur district on Friday.

ANANTAPUR: Moderate but widespread rain has been recorded continuously in most part of the district since the wee hours of Friday. An average of 10.3 mm rain was recorded till 8 a.m. Heavy rain lashed Tadipatri, Gooty and Guntakal areas with several streams overflowing with rain water.

Several ponds and tanks in the areas were also getting inflows. An APSRTC bus was caught in the swirling waters of a stream near Juturu in Pedda Pappuru mandal, but passengers walked to safety after alighting the bus, even as the bus remained in the water till evening.

Rain water entered several low-lying areas in Yadiki causing heavy damage to handlooms in the mandal headquarters village. Water also entered several houses in Pendekallu village. The Pendekallu reservoir, which is under construction as part of the Yadiki Branch Canal system of PABR Stage-II, is also getting good inflows obstructing the ongoing works.

In Anantapur town, several low-lying areas were logged with rain water due to poor drainage system hitting normal life.

According to the Planning Department, Tadipatri recording highest rainfall of 41 mm, followed by 35 in Gooty, 31 in Pamidi, 28.2 in Putluru, 26.4 in Yadiki, 22.4 in Pedda Pappuru and 20.2 each in Pedda Vaduguru and Bukkaraya Samudram.

Besides, 16 mandals recorded more than 10 mm rain but less than 20 mm and other mandals recorder below 10 mm rain. Against the normal rainfall of 64 mm in June the district had already recorded an average of 93.4 mm already.

The present rain is likely to heighten the demand for seed groundnut further.

Kurnool Special Correspondent adds: Cloudburst paralysed life in Kurnool. One person was washed away in Vakkileru in the city while three APSRTC buses got stuck in the flash flood at different places.

The passengers travelling by Tirupati-Kurnool bus had a miraculous escape when the vehicle was stuck in the swirling water of a rivulet at Orvakal. The divers and policemen rescued the passengers with the help of a crane after a three-hour ordeal.

Meanwhile, 40 villages, most of them in Nandyal, were marooned. Communication was completely cut off to Biravole in Rudravaram mandal.

The district administration swung into action to set up a rehabilitation centre and supply food for 10,000 people.

Kurnool city, which received 220 mm rainfall during the day, was badly affected by the flood. Over 20 colonies and slums were flooded in the city.

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