Andhra Pradesh: Rain pounds Kurnool, temple goes under water

By Raghavan Kumar
TIRUPATI: Incessant rain caused flash floods at several places bringing life to a standstill in Kurnool district on Tuesday.
Non-stop rain was reported in the last 48 hours in 11 out of 17 mandals in Nandyal revenue subdivision, including Nandyal, Mahanandi, Gospadu, Sanjamala, Chagalamarri, Owk, Koilakuntla, Banaganapalle, Rudravaram, Dornipadu and Panyam mandals.
Lakes, ponds and other water bodies were overflowing at several places leading to flash floods.
The situation in Mahanandi town was no different and water entered the ancient Mahanandeeswara Swamy temple, submerging the 1500-year-old shrine. Two temple tanks and an ancient mandapam were also submerged in water.
Locals and priests at the temple said this was the first time that flood water entered the main temple complex. The ‘panchalingas’ inside the Rudravaram temple tank also submerged with water level rising above four feet.
With roads leading to the temple inundated with water, the temple administration has suspended darshan at the Mahanandeeswara swamy temple. Ralla Vaagu, Paleru Vaagu and other water bodies were overflowing and causing flash floods. Traffic along the Mahanandi-Nandyal and Mahanandi-Ongole NHs were suspended on Tuesday.
Traffic along Giddaluru-Nandyal rail route, too, was disrupted as water damaged railway tracks at several places near Nandyal.
A school bus with children on its way to Koilakuntla from Owk mandal was stuck on the road in the rain near Sanjamala mandal.
The window panes of the bus had to be broken and tractors were used to take the children to safety.
The rain disrupted road connectivity in 11 mandals as several approach roads leading to Mahanandi, Nandyal and other mandal headquarters were washed away. The administration was struggling to organize relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood-affected mandals.
P Ravi, district collector-in-charge, and Kaginelli Fakerappa, district SP, were monitoring the situation. The administration has moved several teams of special forces trained in disaster response and evacuation to six flood-affected mandals in Kurnool district. A control room has been set up at the collectorate to monitor the flood situation.
As per the rainfall data released by the Kurnool district administration for the last 48 hours, various mandals received heavy rain: Srivella (341 mm), Mahanandi (331.2 mm), Rudravaram (310.2 mm), Allagadda (297 mm), Dornipadu (224.6 mm), Nandyal (146 mm) and Banaganapalli (86 mm).