Toll rises to 3, six of family rescued from River Pincha

Meanwhile, with light to moderate rains continuing to lash the southern districts of AP and Rayalaseema, streams are in spate.
The six-member family, which was rescued from the swollen Pincha river in Chittoor district
The six-member family, which was rescued from the swollen Pincha river in Chittoor district

VIJAYAWADA: The toll in rain-related incidents increased to three in the State. The severe cyclonic storm Nivar triggered incessant rains in several districts, damaging agriculture crops and basic infrastructure. NDRF teams found the body of 30-year-old farmer Prasad at Kummaripalle, who was washed away in Rallamadugu on Thursday. 

Police rescue teams traced the body of Vinay Reddy, a YSRC activist from Palakur village in Puthalapattu mandal of Chittoor district on Friday. His car was washed away in flash floods in a stream near Irala on Thursday while he was returning from Kanipakam. 

1) Farm labourers stranded in a Nellore village being shifted to a safer place in a boat on Friday  
1) Farm labourers stranded in a Nellore village being shifted to a safer place in a boat on Friday  

Meanwhile, police and NDRF personnel rescued a family of six in Akulavaripalle village in Reddypalle panchayat of Piler mandal in Chittoor district. River Pincha, which is in spate following 24 cm rainfall in the upper reaches, cut off the location where the family resides on its bank. With the water level increasing steadily, the family was in danger of getting drowned. After nearly 24 hours of rescue efforts, police and NDRF rescued the family. Chittoor SP S Senthil Kumar personally oversaw the rescue operation. He commended the efforts of Madanapalle DSP Ravi Manohar Achary and Piler CI T Sadik Ali in rescuing the family. 

In another operation, Tirupati urban police rescued seven members of a family from a mango orchard at Kandadu village in Yerpedu mandal of Chittoor district. According to Superintendent of Police Avula Ramesh Reddy, with the release of water from Sadasiva Kona dam, their house in the village was marooned. The police swung into action and using a speed boat brought from Piler, rescued them from the marooned house. 

3) A view of the flooded National Highway 16 in Gudur, which resulted in traffic diversion
4) A badly damaged road at Yanamalakuduru in Vijayawada due to incessant rains | EXPREsS/ PRASANT MADUGULA

Similar rescue efforts were also made in a couple of places in Kadapa district. A couple and a group of people were rescued by police. Meanwhile, with light to moderate rains continuing to lash the southern districts of AP and Rayalaseema, streams are in spate. Flood water is overflowing on roads at several places. Vehicular traffic on the National Highway-16 was diverted due to overflowing of floodwater near Audisankara Engineering College in Gudur.

Meanwhile, Penna, Swarnamukhi and several other minor rivers in Nellore, Kadapa and Chittoor districts are in spate. Officials in Nellore sounded alert with increasing flood levels in Somasila reservoir and Penna barrage. People living in the low-lying areas along the course of those rivers are being shifted to safer places. Heavy rains under the influence of Nivar, have caused extensive damage to standing crops in thousands of acres across the State. Officials are gearing up to enumerate the crop loss once the flood water recedes.

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