Vijayawada, Nov 19 (FN Agency) The heavy rains, under the influence of low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, created havoc in Kadapa, Chittoor and Nellore districts in Andhra Pradesh, even as Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday reviewed the situation and appointed three special officers to monitor the relief operations. Kadapa district bore the brunt of heavy rains. The Annamayya reservoir has breached and a railway track was badly damaged and crops in thousands of acres was submerged in flood waters. The entire Kadapa city was inundated in flood water. The Buggavanka rivulet which flows in the middle of the city is in spate resulting in several residential areas getting inundated. People have been shifted from 250 localities to safer places in the surrounding areas. Breaches to the Buggavanka rivulet developed at various places resulting in flood water entering into the residential areas in the city.
The officials set up 11 relief camps for the victims. Almost all the main thoroughfares, arterial roads and lanes were seen in waist deep water in Kadapa city. “The city is witnessing a deluge for the first time”, an official told the media, adding that over 2000 people have been shifted to safer places. Hundreds of vehicles including cars have got stranded in the busy Kadapa-Tirupati National Highway. The water level of Buggavanka rivulet is rising alarmingly causing concern to the officials. The earth bund of Annamayya project breached for about 500 meters resulting in over 2.50 lakh cusecs of water flowing through the breach. Gundluru, Sesham Ambapuram and Mandapalli villages were under flood water.
According to an unconfirmed report, at least 30 persons of the village had gone missing and search operation had been launched for them. The railway track between Nandalur-Hastavaram badly damaged about one kilometre. The train services on the route were cancelled. The earth bund of Pinch project breached for about three meters. The officials said that the flood waters of Annamayya project would enter Rajampet, Penagaluru and Nandaluru mandals and alerted the villagers of the mandals. Officials said that crops including paddy, papaya, banana and onion in thousands of acres were damaged as the Papagni river water gushed into the fields. As many as 100 sheep washed away in the flood water, shepherds told the media. The crest gates of Veligallu project were lifted to release flood water to the downstream.