Title - Heavy damage in Srikakulam district

Srikakulam district witnessed severe damage due to the low pressure area centred along the north coastal region with crops in over 60,000 acres inundated.Heavy damage to roads, bridges, culverts, telephones and electricity lines was also reported. Paddy, maize and cotton farmers were the worst hit. Collector Saurabh Gaur on Monday asked officials to make a detailed estimate of crop damages in every village.As of now, officials were hopeful that there would be no further threat as the floodwater started receding. Inflows into the Nagavali river were around 54,000 cusecs on Monday as against 71,000 cusecs a day before.

Heavy rain forecast

Meteorological department officials, however, forecast heavy rain on Tuesday too. Kalingapatnam received the highest 26.38 cm rain followed by Tekkali (10.8 cm), Patapatnam (8.96 cm) and Palasa (8.12 cm). Vamsadhara, Bahuda and Mahendra Tanaya were in spate but officials said there was no threat to villages located along the rivers. Rivulets, tanks and reservoirs were still overflowing in several mandals including Amudalavalasa, Laveru, Nandigam, Narasannapeta, Itchapuram, Kotturu and other areas

Normalcy was yet to be restored in the affected areas as 43 villages were inundated and 40 houses collapsed in several areas including Amudalavalasa. Normal life was completely thrown out of gear with rainwater entering the houses in Hudco Colony, Burma Colony, Gujaratipet and other places.

APSRTC could not operate its services as the RTC complex was inundated in knee-deep water even as motorists and pedestrians struggled to wade through the water-logged roads. Bus and rain connectivity was cut off to remote places of the district.

Travellers stranded

Hundreds of travellers were stranded at the Srikakulam railway station and at Amudalavalasa as several trains were cancelled. “We have stopped movement of vehicles on the Palakonda-Parvatipuram road with the damage to the bridge,” Mr. Gaur said. Though no rehabilitation centres were opened yet, the administration was geared up to meet any eventuality, he asserted.