Heavy to very heavy rains, under the impact of a depression in the Bay of Bengal, battered Vijayawada city from late Thursday night and continued throughout Saturday with varying intensities, leaving city roads and low-lying areas marooned. (Image:DC)
Vijayawada: Heavy to very heavy rains, under the impact of a depression in the Bay of Bengal, battered Vijayawada city from late Thursday night and continued throughout Saturday with varying intensities, leaving city roads and low-lying areas marooned.
Arterial and sub-arterial roads resembled mini rivers due to rainwater inundation. People and vehicles faced a tough time wading through waist-deep water as record rainfall pounded Vijayawada on Saturday.
With heavy rains lashing Vijayawada city since Thursday evening, boulders rolled down and fell on the Indrakiladri ghat road, damaging the information centre room at the entrance of the temple on the ghat road on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident as the temple authorities suspended vehicular and devotee movement on the ghat road in view of the heavy rains. As a precautionary measure, the temple authorities closed the ghat road for vehicular movement.
According to rainfall data, the NTR district recorded 2,424 mm of rainfall and an average of 121.2 mm between 8:30 am and 6 pm on Saturday. Veerullapdu Mandal received the highest rainfall of 215.6 mm between 8:30 am and 6 pm, followed by Kanchikacherla Mandal with 209.8 mm, Ibrahimpatnam Mandal with 158.2 mm, and Penuganchiprolu Mandal with 157.4 mm of rainfall recorded during the same period. Meanwhile, Vijayawada East, North, West, and Central Mandals recorded 125.4 mm, 125.8 mm, 125.2 mm, and 126.2 mm of rainfall, respectively, while Vijayawada Rural Mandals received 135.4 mm of rainfall during the day.
With the heavy downpour pounding the city from early hours, the railway under bridge at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) was completely submerged in floodwater, with many buses and other vehicles getting stuck in water. As a result, the authorities stopped vehicles from passing through this route and diverted buses going towards Hyderabad to alternate routes.
Subsequently, severe flooding at the Kaza toll plaza on the NH-16 forced police to suspend vehicular movement briefly and advise people to use alternative routes. A huge traffic jam was witnessed at the Ramavarapadu ring road, with vehicles lining up till Nidamanuru as roads were completely inundated with rainwater.
Additionally, the I Town area was worst hit as floodwater above waist-deep level submerged roads and low-lying colonies in the area.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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