Torrential rains in Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh wrecked havoc causing a great human suffering.
Thousands of people were displaced as their houses were razed, scores of rivulets crossed their danger mark, crops submerged, communication paralysed and several men who went for work on Wednesday evening were caught in the middle of swirling rivers.
The floods occurred within a radius of 100 km with the epicentre being the southern part of Mahabubnagar district. Gudur, 30 km west of Kurnool city, recorded the highest rainfall of 220 mm in the last 24 hours followed by Adoni 192 mm, Mantralyam 191 mm, Pedakadubur and Kurnool city 190 mm. All the heavy rainfall centres are located in the catchment of Tungabhadra, Hundri and Vakkileru that surround the Kurnool city from three corners.
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Sunkesula barrage across the Tungabhadra river, 27 km west of Kurnool, discharged a flood of 3.30 lakh cusecs which joins the Krishna at Alampur. The Krishna too is already in spate. The Srisailam reservoir which collects flood from the Krishna, Tungabhadra and Hundri and few other streams from Nallamala forest is poised to handle 10 lakh cusecs which is the highest flood discharge in the last decade.
The administration opened 21 relief centres to accommodate the displaced people in various towns. Most of the rural areas remained inaccessible to the official machinery. Kurnool city will be put to great risk if the flood is not properly drained from the Srisailam reservoir by evening since all three rivers are in spate.