Rajahmundry: Postmaster hailed for braving floods

Rajahmundry: A lucky postmaster not only survived the boat mishap in the Godavari river earlier this week but recovered a bag containing Rs 3 lakh with the help of a good Samaritan. They money was meant to be disbursed as wages to workers under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The boat sank earlier this week at Pasuvullanka of I. Polavaram mandal in East Godavari. The bodies of four victims have been recovered, three are still listed missing.  The mishap occurred when the boat hit the pillar of an under-construction bridge.

Postmaster Kothula Nageswara Rao, working at a branch post office at Serilanka, had gone to the branch post office at Muramalla on July 14 and collected the money that was to be paid to NREGS workers in several island villages.

Along with other passengers including students, Mr Rao boarded the country boat at Pasuvullanka with his bicycle to which he hung the cash. When the boat hit the pillar, the postmaster fell into the river and started screaming for help.

Locals and construction workers rescued Mr Rao and shifted him to the shore. He suddenly realised that the cash bag was missing, and told the rescuers.

A villager wearing a life jacket returned to the river and found the cash bag drifting away. He managed to grab it and handed it over to Mr Rao. The postmaster went home, dried the currency and handed them over on Monday. Thanking God, Mr Rao said, “I was tense but a villager risked his life to search for the cash bag.”