Search continues for Athidhi

Visakhapatnam: Nearly 30 rescue teams including police, fire service, GVMC and locals with excavators on Friday searched 3.5 km of drains at HB Colony and MVP Colony and their neighbourhood in Vizag for six-year-old C. Athidhi, who fell into a storm water drain on Thursday evening.

District authorities have requested the Indian Navy to depute divers and a helicopter to scout the beaches, as the drain connects to a major drain that leads to the sea.

Athidhi, a Class I student of Etasi Timpany School in the city accidentally fell into the uncovered drain when she was about to board a car after her tuition classes near Dr V.S. Krishna Government College, HB Colony at about 6 pm.

The area was flooded because of heavy rains. She was swept away the moment she fell into the drain.

Athidhi is the youngest of three siblings. Her parents, software professionals C. Srinivas and Radhika stay in Bengaluru with two of her brothers. Athidhi used to stay in Vizag with her grandfather Ch Ramanamurthy, a retired roads and building engineer.

Rescue workers removed slabs covering the drains in some places and searched in the major drain that leads to the sea. Officials tried to map the water flow in an attempt to trace the child.

Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who visited the spot on Friday, said the series of recent tragic incidents in Vizag , stray dogs mauling a boy, an eight-year-old electrocuted and Athidhi’s accident has tainted the image of the which is to get smart status tag.

The minister said GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar had been told to initiate an inquiry and investigate into the delay by the GVMC officers concerned and also inquire into the encroachment issue and faulty costruction of the storm drains.