ANANTAPUR: Heavy rains continued to lash Anantapur and Kadapa districts on the fourth consecutive day. Gooty mandal received 14 cm while Vidapanakal received 11 cm. Pamidi and Guntakal received 8.2 cm and 7.6 cm rainfall respectively until Thursday. Low lying areas in Gooty and Pamidi were inundated due to heavy inflows from existing channels nd over flowing tanks. Three people were stranded in the water flowing on the roads in Pamidi. Sub-inspector K. Ravisekhar Reddy rushed to the spot and rescued the trio using ropes.

Access roads between Guntakal and Bellary was cut due to over flowing of the Donekal channel in Vidapanakal mandal. A breach occurred to the right of the channel in Chagallu reservoir and water was released towards Pennar river in Peddapappur mandal. On Thursday alone, the district recorded a total of 131 cm of rainfall and a total of 99 cm from October 1. The Meteorology department observed that excess rainfall was recorded in most mandals.

In Kadapa district, an APSRTC bus carrying 12 passengers halted in the edge of a damaged causeway across Bahuda river near Bestavaripalli in Sundupalle mandal. A major mishap was averted after the locals rushed to the spot and rescued all the passengers using ropes. Buses and other vehicles were diverted following the construction of a new culvert across Bahuda river after a temporary route washed out due to heavy rains in the past two days. The driver noticed there was a problem only after went very drove close towards damaged road.

People nearby rescued the passengers and a JCB was pressed into service to push the bus back to prevent it from falling into the river. Rajupalem mandal received 9.9 cm of rainfall while Kamalapuram recorded 9 cm on Thursday. Heavy inflows and out flows from Yogivemana reservoir reached Mylavaram and Gandikota reservoirs. Marketing minister C. Adinarayana Reddy released water towards Gandikota reservoir from Owk reservoir and it is expected to receive adequate water to meet the needs of Kadapa.

16 farmers stranded as Handri river flooded:

As many as 16 agriculture labourers were trapped in Handri river flood waters at Allurdinne village under Devankonda police limits for hours before being rescued by fire and disaster management officials on Thursday. Devankonda Sub-Inspector S. Gangayya Yadav said that villages on the bank of river Handri like Allarudinne, Velamkur, Chernikal and Potlapadu were on alert as heavy inflows due to rains in upper reaches flowed ferociously around this area. He said that Potlapadu villagers are safe now as the flood receded.

The flood of Handri left a trail of destruction to crops in around 600 acres. Mostly, they sow onions, chilli and cotton, he said. The heavy downpour on Wednesday night which continued till Thursday afternoon wreaked havoc to the already battered Pathikonda, Banaganapalle, Alur, Kodumur Assembly constituencies inundating low-lying areas and causing sleepless nights to the people.

Nine people were stuck in the flood water at Puttukamarri village in Aspari mandal and they later were saved by police and locals. At least `50 lakh worth onions which were ready for harvest were washed away in the flood waters. He was harvesting the onions three days back, and had completed the process of grading and all of them packed in the bags, G. Veeranna farmer of Aspari village said, “All the bags were washed away in the floods.”

Pathikonda, Chippagiri, Aspari, Sanjamala, Maddikera, Banaganapalle, Alur and Kodumur received good amount of rain. The district average rainfall was recorded as 22mm and Pathikonda mandal got the highest rains as it recorded 130.2mm rainfall. Rivulets and streams surrounding the villages were swollen with flood water. “Normal life has come to a halt without any mode of transportation,” said P. Naveen Gupta, a villager living in Pathikonda. “Handri river, Maddileruvagu and streams are flowing with unprecedented volume of water,” he added.

In Chinnahulthi village of Pathikonda, the bridge has overflowed halting traffic between Pathikonda and Adhoni. The Adhoni – Bellary highway near Alur village was also affected due to the overflowing rivulets. A bus heading to Bangalore got stuck on the bridge and three hours later, passengers were relieved as the bus moved without issues.