Incessant rains under the influence of the depression over the Bay of Bengal pounded South coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. The rains which started late on Wednesday continued through out the day in several places in the Nellore and Prakasam districts, throwing the normal life out of gear.
Arterial roads leading to the VRC Centre, KVR petro bunk centre, NTR Colony, Sunday market and Gandhi Bommaa Centre in Nellore remained under a sheet of water as the depression that crossed the coast close to Chennai on Thursday evening, triggered heavy rains.
In Nellore city, railway underbridges at Magunta Layout, Ramalingapuram and Atmakur bus stand centre turned into a cesspool. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force rushed to the coastal mandals lashed by heavy rains in the last two days.
The sea remained rough in the coastal mandals including Doravarisatram, Chittamur, Chillakur, Vakadu, Indukurpet, Kodavaluru and Vidavaluru. Crops in more than 3,200 acres in among other places Sullurpeta, Naidupeta and Venkatagiri, were inundated, said a preliminary report compiled by the Agriculture Department.
Tada bordering Tamil Nadu received a maximum rainfall of 102.8 mm, followed by Sullurpeta (60.4 mm).
Traffic hit
Vehicular traffic on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway was disrupted near Sullurpeta as Mamidi canal and Kalangi river were brimming. Road connectivity was hit in several localities in and around Gudur as Kommaleru and Kandaleru canals were in spate. Fishermen did not venture into the sea. Power supply was suspended in many places in the Sullurpeta division as a precautionary measure.
Weathermen forecast moderate rain at most places and very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rain at isolated places. Squally wind reaching a speed of 45 to 55 km per hour is likely to blow over the region. The sky opened up in Ongole late on Wednesday and the heavy rain continued on Thursday, bringing cheers to farmers who were waiting to start rabi operations.
Several places in Prakasam district including Chirala, Vetapalem, Chinnaganjam, N.G.Padu, Ongole, Tangutur and Gudlur witnessed heavy rain since Wednesday night. Gudlur recorded a rainfall of 11.6 mm, followed by Tangutur (11.2 mm), Singarayakonda (10.8 mm) Addanki (10.4 mm), Kondepi (10.4 mm), Ongole(10.4 mm) and Ulavapadu (9.2 mm).