Many streams and canals in 11 mandals of Rampachodavaram Agency are overflowing for the last 24 hours and 30 villages lost connectivity with mandal headquarters Indukurupeta as a result of heavy rain.
According to ITDA project officer A.S. Dinesh Kumar, a temporary bridge near Dandangi in Devipatnam mandal was washed away in the early hours of Tuesday and villagers of Dandangi and Devipatnam lost connectivity. The village revenue officer of Indukurupeta said it was only 18 km if the people took the Dandangi bridge to reach Indukurupeta from Devipatnam, but now the travel distance increased to 63 km via Gokavaram and Chodavaram.
Incessant rainfall in Rajavommangi, Maredumilli, Chinturu, Yetapaka and Rampachodavaram caused havoc in many villages and tribal people did not move out of their houses for cultivation or for daily wage work.
The project officer said they had made all arrangements to transport essential commodities to the Girijan Cooperative Corporation depots and restore normalcy.
On the other hand, the Sabari river is in spate and it started overflowing from Sunday. The irrigation officials have released 5,000 cusecs of water from the Sabari barrage in Chatti on Chhattisgarh border. Officials have alerted the tribal people in Chinturu, Yetapaka and Bhadrachalam in Telangana after the release of Sabari river water.
Crops damaged
Srikakulam Staff Reporter adds:
Heavy rain lashed Srikakulam district on Tuesday, causing damage to paddy fields and other crops.
Farmers, who expected a bumper crop in the current season, are a worried lot now.
Paddy fields turned into ponds in many villages of Amadalavalasa, Srikakulam, Narasannapeta, Palasa and Tekkali mandals.
Srikakulam Collector K. Dhanunjaya Reddy asked the agriculture officials to assess the damage to the crops and recommend crop insurance, if necessary.
Life hit
Meanwhile, normal life was also thrown out of gear with the continuous rain in Srikakulam town on Tuesday. People struggled a lot to reach their destinations due to the downpour. It was almost like an unofficial holiday for many schools with thin attendance, while some institutions declared a holiday and sent the students back home.
