26 died in floods- many missing - Mylavaram project under threat

Anantapur: Heavy flooding due to a breach and excess release of water from the Annamayya project claimed at least 26 lives. Many flood victims from 12 villages in areas surrounding Nandalur were reportedly missing from Kadapa district.

The Rajampet area witnessed heart rending scenes with dead bodies of people being washed away in the floods due to lack of advance alerts. Rescue teams, mostly police, were seen rescuing victims and collecting dead bodies from the flood waters. A head constable Sudhakar Raju noticed the body of a woman near Tallapaka and shifted her body with his hands and shifted it to hospital.

More than one-and-a-half kilometre of railway track was destroyed by floods and 10 trains were suspended. The toll consisted mostly of people who went to Shiva temples for worship during the Karthika Pournami.

About nine persons from the family of a priest Rama Murthy in Pulamathur village were washed away in the floods. In Mandapalle village, at least 13 people were reportedly washed away.

Sources said five people were washed away in Gundlur village while rescue teams were trying to track victims. Even the NDRF choppers were unable to find flood victims in villages. “Normally, victims can be saved if they are found shouting for help. The choppers returned as no victims stuck in floods were found alive,” an official revealed and added the rescue teams were searching for bodies washed away in the flow. Munnur sub inspector Bhakta Vatsalam initiated plans to shift the body of an old man on a cot to the hospital

Apart from this, there is threat to Mylavaram project. A metal bund was washed away 300 metres from crest gates of the project due to heavy inflows from upstream parts for the past three days. Executive engineer Sudhakar said restoration of damaged parts of the project were taken up and there is no fear of the Mylavaram dam and water being discharged into Pennar river.

About 19 rehabilitation centres were set up in Jammalamadugu area under low-lying areas of Mylavaram project.

The bridge on Papagni river was about to collapse and police restricted vehicles in between Kadapa and Kamalapuram. The police also alerted the NHAI, RTC and other agencies to divert traffic to other routes. At least 20 days are required for repairing the bridge, police announced.

Penna and Papagni rivers were flowing at dangerous levels inundating thousands of acres of crops. Thousands of acres of crops were badly damaged and they are not even in a position for further cultivation in Kadapa district.

Kadapa headquarters was still under threat of floods following heavy flows from Buggavanka reservoir.