1 dead in renewed spell of rain in Andhra Pradesh

Residents of low-lying areas and farmers were an agitated lot what with the Kalangi, Kaivalya and Kandaleru streams rising again in the past two days.

Under the influence of another depression in the Bay of Bengal, a renewed spell of heavy rain lashed the Gudur and Nayudupeta divisions in Nellore district even as a 35-year-old nurse was found dead in a rain-related mishap in the Dakkili area on Tuesday morning.

Residents of low-lying areas and farmers were an agitated lot what with the Kalangi, Kaivalya and Kandaleru streams rising again in the past two days.

Fearing fresh breaches to tanks and ponds, the authorities rushed sand bags to buttress bunds. Special teams stood ready.

In a tragic mishap between Dakkili and Kammapalli, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) named P. Venkata Rajyalakshmi fell from her moped on a rain-soaked road and died due to bleeding injuries. The incident took place on Monday night but her body was found on Tuesday morning.

According to the district medical and health officer, Ms. Rajyalakshmi had completed her day’s work at the Dakkili health sub-centre around 7 p.m. and left for her home in a nearby village. She tried to negotiate a waterlogged road along the way and ran into a wall and suffered a head injury.

3,800 shifted

With low-lying areas in Nayudupeta and Gudur divisions facing inundation once again, about 3,800 persons have been shifted to safe places in Kota, Manubolu, Chillakur and other places, said collector M. Janaki. Floodwaters from the Pambaleru stream gushed into habitations in the Thikkavarappadu area.

Officials said 6 to 12 cm of rainfall was recorded in Gudur and Nayudupeta divisions and several villages were cut off due to overflowing culverts.

As heavy rains are likely to continue for another three days, the administration has commenced evacuation of people living in low-lying areas. Collector Janaki set up 13 special teams including personnel from the Fire Service to meet any eventuality.

This is the second spell of rain from the northeast monsoon in Nellore this month. Twenty-eight persons have died and the government has announced Rs. 5 lakh ex gratia to the family of each deceased in respect of 24 deaths. There have been demands for providing such assistance in respect of the cold wave deaths during the floods.