Heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh: residents struggle as flood water enters homes, huts submerged in Anantapur district

Anantapur receives 80.2 cm rainfall on Monday; around 100 huts erected by the underprivileged people on the outskirts of the city, are completely inundated, leaving the residents homeless

Heavy and continuous rains through Monday night left several residential areas in Anantapur inundated while streams and rivulets overflowed on Tuesday.

Sri Sathya Sai district received 190.2 cm rainfall while Anantapur received 80.2 cm rainfall on Monday. Traffic on the busy Bengaluru-Hyderabad National Highway (NH) came to a standstill as rain water flooded the highway near Penukonda. Police shifted people outside of inundated colonies in Anantapur town. No casualties were reported from both districts.

Anantapur District Collector V. Vinod Kumar reviewed the situation from the command control room and informed that several areas including, Anantapur Urban and Rural areas, Raptadu, Atmakur, Upparapalli, Jagananna Colony, Auto Nagar, Vincent D. Paul and Pandameru, have been inundated. Residential areas abutting the Padameru stream were the worst effected, he added.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Jagadeesh toured the Artists Colony, Vicent D. Paul school area, Gurudas Colony, TV Tower and Auto Nagar on the Ananapur-Kadiri NH and interacted with the affected people. He monitored the situation in the inundated areas using drones and directed police officials to ensure that the people are not subjected to any inconvenience.

Peoples’ struggle

Inhabitants of the affected areas are struggling as rain water has seeped into their homes. “We were sleeping in our house when the neighbours alerted us around 2.30 am about the flooding of our locality. Within few minutes, the water entered our houses,” a woman from Auto Nagar said.

Anantapur MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad along with the local administration also visited the affected areas and directed officials to shift the people to the relief centre at Electricity Guest House. Those who were moved to the relief centre were provided with breakfast, lunch and water. TDP leader Paritala Sriram also toured the Anantapur Rural area.

Meanwhile, the water also inundated the 100-odd huts which were erected by the underprivileged people on the outskirts of the city. “There was no time for us to shift our belongings. It was a heavy downpour and the water started entering our houses around 4 a.m. We shifted what ever we can but are left homeless now,’’ said Prasad, a daily wage worker.

Anantapur MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad along with the local administration visited the affected areas and asked people to shift to the relief centre set up at Electricity Guest House. Those who were moved to the relief centre were provided with breakfast, lunch and water. TDP leader Paritala Sriram toured the Anantapur Rural area and interacted with the locals.

Meanwhile, film actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, who was on his way to Anantapur to participate in a private event, was also stuck in traffic on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad NH near Penukonda.

Published - October 22, 2024 07:43 pm IST