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High alert in Nellore, River Penna in full spate

Around 14,494 people from across the district were shifted to 61 relief camps, officials said

Tirupati: As many as 30 villages spread over 12 mandals in SPSR Nellore district were completely inundated in floodwaters from river Penna, which is in full spate following heavy rains in the upper stream.

Although the district did not witness heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours as on Saturday, heavy inflows into the river Penna from the upper stream resulted in inundation of villages. Around 14,494 people from across the district were shifted to 61 relief camps, officials said.

According to the district administration, of the total 1,748 tanks in the district, around 1,078 are filled to the brim. Around 9,522 hectares of crops were submerged. Of them, 5,685 hectares of paddy crops have been submerged for the last two days.

As Vinjamur, Kaligiri and Ananthasagaram mandals received 4 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, an NDRF and two SDRF teams were pressed into action to rescue people in low-lying areas. The district administration sounded a high alert along the river Penna.

Huge inflows into the Somasila project resulted in damages to roads connecting hundreds of villages along the river Penna from other parts. According to officials, the Somasila project has been receiving 3.50 lakh cusecs of water and around 3.32 lakh cusecs are being released downstream by lifting 12 crest gates. The current storage of water in the reservoir is 69.219 tmc ft as against the full capacity of 77.988 tmc ft.

Many villages under Kovur, Buchireddypalem, Sangam, Atmakur, Ananthasagaram mandals were flooded with gushing waters from rive Penna, which also submerged Kommileruvagu village in Ananthasagaram mandal and Kachiridevarayapalle. Rivers Kaivalya, Kandaleru and Pambaleru are also flowing at dangerous levels.

Ramudu Palem, Nidumusali, Pallipalem, Ganga Patnam, Punnuru, Mypadu, Peddpattapupalem and other villages, where the river Penna joins the Bay of Bengal were completely submerged and people living in those villages were shifted to relief camps. Some villages under Kota, Chillakur and Vakadu mandals lost road connectivity due to water gushing from river Swarnamukhi, while vehicular movement on Atmakur-Sangam, and Nellore-Buchireddypalem came to grinding halt in the morning hours of Saturday.

Meanwhile, in Nellore city, civic officials along with police shifted people from low-lying areas in the 53rd and 54th divisions to shelter homes. Janardhan Reddy colony, Manuma Siddhi Nagar, Bhagat Singh colony, Sundaraiah colony, Nawabpeta, Nazeer Thota, Zakeer Hussain nagar and other areas in the city were all inundated.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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