Khammam Reels Under Rain Pain

Khammam: Incessant rain for 24 hours straight and a wall collapse at the hydel power plant in Palair turned parts of Khammam into seeming islands on Sunday. Hundreds of stranded persons were seen on roof-tops, screaming for help but rescue operations were slow as the wet weather meant helicopters could not be used.

The State Disaster Response Force used boats to rescue the people from submerged colonies and villages. In Khammam town, Prakash Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Rajiv Gruha Kalpana Colony and Venkateshwara Colony were submerged by the overflowing Munneru steam. Seven persons were stranded on the Prakash Nagar Bridge.

Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy was personally monitoring the rescue operation in Prakash Nagar.

Nagarjunasagar Left Canal was breached at the mini-hydel plant at Palair after its compound wall collapsed.

Ramachandrapuram, Painampalli, Buddaram and Kattu Kacharam and Surdepalli villages also submerged in the flood waters.

About 10 BSNL workers, who were doing cable work near the check dam-cum-bridge at Survepalli, were stranded. Flood water reached two rehabilitation centres setup in Surdepalli.

Yellandupadu Cheruvu was overflowing, disrupting the road connecting Yellandu and Satyanarayanapuram.

As inflows increased, 25 gates of the medium irrigation project in Taliperu were lifted, releasing 40,962 cusecs (one cubic foot per second) into Godavari river.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka spoke to Navy officials in Visakhapatnam and requested for a helicopter to take up rescue operations. Earlier, he asked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for a helicopter from Hyderabad, but heavy rains in Hyderabad scuppered those plans.