Srikakulam: Incessant rains from Friday to Sunday morning in Srikakulam district and adjacent areas of Odisha led to heavy inflows into Vamsadhara river. Flood waters, which had touched 1,00,878 cusecs at Gotta barrage in Hiramandalam by 11am on Sunday, and had reduced to 96,268 cusecs, by 4pm, crossed 1,06,000 cusecs by 5.30pm, said Vamsadhara project divisional engineer (DE), Suvvari Jagadiswara Rao.
“We issued high alert after the levels crossed 1,04,000 cusecs and alerted all 96 villages in 11 mandals situated on either side of the river in the district and put on alert another 28 villages facing threat of floods,” said district collector Gourav Uppal, who visited the flood affected areas along with his team of officials. Roads were inundated between NivagamMathala in Kotturu mandal, which connects Odisha and Srikakulam. Katragad to Battili Road in Bhamini mandal was also marooned. An old man Sasapu Sundarayya of Addubangi village of Odisha was reportedly washed away in flood waters at Mathala.
Essential goods were supplied to villagers of Penugotiwada, Akkirapalli, Kommanapalli, Jilledupeta and Mathala in Kotturu and Hiramandalam, which were cut off by flood waters. Paddy, cotton, sugarcane and banana crops were inundated in 30,000 acres said agriculture joint director (JD), B.V.S.C. Hari. Flood water levels in Nagavali river touched 66,000 cusecs at Narayanapuram dam on Sunday morning, but receded below the danger levels, said irrigation department superintendent engineer (SE), Sanapala Venkata Ramana.
