Kurnool: Kurnool police are literally star gazing during night times at Srisailam since July 1 when people reportedly saw some drone over Sri Bramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy and the nearby Nallamala forests.
They are yet clueless as to who is flying the drones. While they had been first spotted on July 1, drones have reportedly sighted again 4–5 times subsequently, though during night times. It is said flickering objects with infrared cameras have been making rounds of the sky over temple shikhara, Mallamma Kanneeru, Uttara Park, Viswamitra Matham, the reservoir and outer ring road.
Though the sightings commenced on July 1, temple executive officer K. S. Rama Rao lodged a complaint with police on July 4. Following this, Srisailam police, led by circle inspector P. V. Ramana have started search operations to trace the drones as well as those flying them. Police teams have interrogated local videographers who use drones for event photography. But they are not using the drones currently.
Atamakur DSP Y. Shruti under, whose jurisdiction important assets like Srisailam dam, power house, and Srisailam temple fall, is having to contend with drones even as tensions are escalating between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments over Krishna waters at Srisailam.
District superintendent of police K. Fakeerappa, along with Atmakur DSP, visited the Srisailam temple and personally observed the skies from Monday night till Tuesday morning. Police suspect reports of drones being seen flying night after night are an exaggeration.
Meanwhile, BJP MP T. G. Venkatesh has called upon leaders of Rayalaseema to unit for protecting the legitimate share of Krishna waters. He said forgetting sacrifices made by Rayalaseema farmers, who lost 45,000 acres of fertile land due to submergence under Srisailam, Telangana government is now bringing new theories that Srisailam waters are only for power generation.
Speaking to media, the MP suspected that TS Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has upped the ante over Srisailam waters only to win the Huzurbad by-election. He reminded that Brijesh Kumar tribunal on Krishna waters had clearly allocated 512.4 tmc of water to AP and 298.96 tmc to Telanagana on June 19, 2015. “That agreement was signed by KCR himself,” he recalled.
