Kurnool: 15 cows drown in Veligonda reservoir

Kurnool: Around 15 cows drowned in Velugodu balancing reservoir on Thursday. According to information, 90 cows were washed away but fishermen could rescue some 75 on Friday. The carcases of the remaining cows surfaced in water on Saturday.

According to sources, villagers of Velugodu took their herd to the nearby forest zone for grazing on Thursday morning. In the evening while they were about to return to village, a sudden rain started to batter the locality. The villagers took shelter in a hut while the cows, panicked by gusty winds and lightning ran towards Velugodu reservoir. All of them ventured into the reservoir and were pulled into deep waters. The farmers thought that the cows would have gone to their homes.

Some fishermen who noticed the cows in the distant waters immediately started rescue operations. With the help of villagers, they entered the waters and saved 75 cows up to Friday evening. They searched for the remaining cattle but did not find them.

However, on Saturday morning, the fishermen resumed their search for the missing cows. But they were shocked to see the bodies of the cows floating in water. All the bodies were brought to shore by the fishermen.

The villagers said that Telugu Ganga canal authorities did not respond when the took the matter to their notice. If search and rescue operations were conducted in time, almost all the cows would have been rescued, the villagers said.