Rains subside, but lakes, streams still overflow

Anantapur-Puttaparthi : Rains in the past 48 hours resulted in overflowing of lakes, village tanks, drains and submergence of roads and low-lying areas, displacing people and disrupting normal life, mainly in rural mandals in the twin districts of Anantapur and Sri Satyasai . Although rains subsided, water logging of roads and residential colonies continued.

Raptadu, Penukonda, Kanaganipalle, Chennekothapalle, Ramagiri and Atmakur mandals were the worst-affected. Crops were damaged in 20 mandals.

Bandameedapalle, Upparapalle and several Jagananna colonies were inundated by the flash rains.

Thirteen lakes in Kanaganapalle mandal are overflowing with rain water.

Raptadu MLA Paritala Sunitha toured the affected areas of Ramagiri mandal and also the damaged crops. She condoled the farmers not to lose heart. She spoke on phone with agriculture minister K Atchannaidu and also with water resources minister Nimmala Rama Naidu on compensating farmers and repairing the breaches caused to irrigation infrastructure.

Kanaganapalle mandal registered 19 cm, Ramagiri 9.8 cm, CK Palle 9.5 cm, Penukonda 8.5 cm, Kothacheruvu 8.8 cm, Hindupur 8.3 cm and Kalyandurg, Kambadur and Athmakur 8 cm each.

Roads in most of the affected mandals were severely damaged.

Meanwhile, TDP leaders are accusing the YSRCP leaders of encroaching upon the lakes and village tanks resulting in the present havoc.

The illegal occupation of water bodies by vested interests has been a long-standing problem which is causing inundation of low-lying residential areas.

Meanwhile, district collector Dr Vinodh Kumar has stated that all people in low-lying residential areas had been shifted to safety places and all arrangements have been made for their temporary stay and food arrangements. He called upon officials to remain in a state of alert as water from other areas continued to flow into lakes and tanks.