Overflowing streams, waterlogged streets: Heavy rain lashes Nellore district
TIRUPATI: As the low-pressure area formed in the Southwest Bay of Bengal in recent days merged with the Southeast Arabian Sea, heavy to extreme heavy rainfall lashed south coastal Andhra Pradesh, especially the SPSR Nellore district, on Monday.
The incessant rain that lashed resulted in waterlogging, inundation of low-lying areas and overflowing of streams, mainly in the coastal mandals. Normal life was thrown out of gear.
Some coastal areas in Tirupati district experienced intermittent rain for the third consecutive day.
As per official data, Nellore district recorded an average of 6.75cm rainfall on Monday with Vidavalur and Indukurpeta receiving the highest - 16.44cm and 16.34cm respectively. Kovur mandal recorded 15.56cm rainfall, followed by Thotapalligudur 14.04cm, Muthukur 13.94cm, Nellore city 12.86cm, Nellore rural 12.6cm, Kavali 12.44cm, Kodavalur 11.62cm and Venkatachalam 10.96cm.
The sky opened up over Nellore city in the morning and there was steady downpour all through the day. It led to overflowing of drains, inundation of road and rail under-bridges in the low-lying areas and disruption vehicular traffic.
Floodwater entered the railway underbridge near Magunta layout and Atmakur bus stand. The situation was worse at YSR colony, Shramik Nagar and Revenue colony, where roads often turned into cesspools.
Due to the overflowing of streams, road connectivity to several villages across the coastal belt was affected. Police put up barricades at major causeways, preventing vehicular and public movement on the bridges that were vulnerable in the district. District Collector Chakradhar Babu asked officials to be alert, observe the water levels in all major water bodies and take steps to ensure public safety. He appealed to the people to contact 1077 for assistance on cyclone rescue measures.
Meanwhile, many coastal mandals in Tirupati district received moderate to heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Kota mandal recorded the highest rainfall in the district, 13.12cm, followed by Vakadu 8.66cm, Ozili 8.1cm, Chillakuru and Chittamuru 7.54cm, Gudur 6.02cm and Naidupet 5.66cm. Tirupati city witnessed a cloud burst in the afternoon and the rainfall continued till the evening.
