Several villages in the Rajampeta revenue division of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh are reeling following recent devastating floods in the region. Many roads that connect interior villages were inaccessible due to severe inundation, according to regional media reports. Villages around Rajampeta town were also badly affected as electricity to these areas was disturbed.
Speaking to TNM, Ravinder Varma, a resident and veterinarian from Rajampeta, said that the area saw major storms and heavy rain after a one-day gap had brought some respite to the area. He noted that villages in Chinnamandem, Obulavaripalli and Railway Koduru mandals have seen rainfall.
"While most of the interior villages were cut off from transportation facilities, Tirupati-Kadapa highway has also been damaged in some places. However, that has not disturbed vehicular traffic,” he said.
Subramanyam Mitta, another resident from Rajampeta, said, "The parts which saw flooding due to overflow of tanks nearby were cleared. In Nandaluru mandal, some houses in low lying areas have been affected."
Mud from the Cheyyeru river is blocking roads and nearby villages like Gundlur, many noted.
In Tougurupeta, Mandapalli and Pulapaturu villages, heavy destruction of property was reported as several houses collapsed and stray animals were said to have washed away in the flood. Residents from these villages are urging authorities to clear the mud from the houses and residential areas on a priority basis.
But according to authorities, it will take a few more days to restore electricity supply to some villages.
The major flooding was caused due to a breach in the Annamayya project on the Cheyyeru river. According to the reports, around 20 people died, and over a dozen people who were believed to have washed away have not yet been found.
Standing crops on several hundreds of acres of land in the region have also been destroyed, leaving farmers with massive losses.
District SP KKN Anburajan, speaking to TNM, said, "So far, 16 bodies of those who had washed away in the Cheyyeru river floods have been recovered. Rescue and relief operations are underway; the state police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with the Air Force are actively participating in relief operations."
The SP further said that if the rains completely recede by Tuesday morning, the situation could be brought under control.