Heavy rains throw life out of gear in Rajanna-Sircilla

Rajann- Sircilla: The incessant rains derailed the normal life in the district. While the road connectivity between a few villages was disturbed as streams, rivulets, tanks, ponds and other water bodies overflowing, low-lying areas were inundated with flood water in Sircilla and Vemulawada towns.

Majority of the areas in Vemulawada were inundated by flood water since the temple town experienced about 13 cm rainfall during the last 24 hours. Mulavagu rivulet was in spate at Vemulawada.

Flood water entered residential localities in New Urban colony, Rajivnagar in Chekkapalli road, Budigajangala colony, Thippapur and other areas. Current supply to some localities in the temple town was also disconnected as flood water entered into a sub-station.

A woman and her grandson died when a car they were travelling in was washed away in flood water near Fazulnagar of Vemulwada rural mandal. Local people rescued two persons. Residents of Chelgal of Jagtial rural mandal, the victims were proceeding to Hyderabad at the time of incident.

In another incident, Janagama Nagaraju (22) from Jataraground of Vemulawada town, drowned in the temple tank. Nagaraju, who reportedly got down into the tank to collect iron rods of Ganesh idols which were immersed on Friday, died after getting struck in between rods, police said.

On the other hand, flood water was flowing on roads in various localities in Sircilla town. Revenue, police and municipal staff arranged warning boards at drainages and nalas.

Kondapurvagu in Mustabad mandal is overflowing. Residents of Narayanapur and Kondapur were asked to be alert. Road connectivity between Akkapelli and the rest of the world is disconnected as Lethamamindla vagu is overflowing. Gram panchayat officials and police closed the road by placing barricades and asked the people to be alert.

In the wake of incessant rainfall, Collector Anurag Jayanthi alerted district, mandal and village level officials and passed instructions to be taken to avert any untoward incidents.

Based on Collector's directions, residents of Manair and Mulavagu catchment areas were alerted and warned not to visit the water bodies. People were alerted through tom- tom and gram panchayat public address systems.

Collector instructed officials to close culverts and low level bridges and deploy police and gram panchayat staff to prevent people from entering into water bodies.

Anurag Jayanthi wanted irrigation engineers and gram panchayat officials to keep watch on the water levels of tanks and other water bodies. He also instructed the officials to shift the people staying in low lying areas and dilapidated houses to safer places.

He wanted district, mandal and village officials to be alert till the rains were controlled.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Hegde and Sircilla municipal commissioner Sammaiah asked the people to be alert and not to come out of the houses in the wake of incessant rain.