Heavy cloud hangs over North Coastal AP

Vishakapatnam, July 20: Even as the north coastal districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram are being ravaged by floods on account of the swelling Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers, a fresh warning of heavy rainfall in the two districts has set the alarm bells ringing. All the 22 gates of Gotta Barrage at Heeramandal in Srikakulam on the Vamsadhara have been lifted and flood water is being let out downstream. The discharge at 6 p.m. at the barrage was 53,000 cusecs and officials expect it to reach 80,000 cusecs by 2 a.m. tomorrow.

The heavy outflow from the reservoir has led to inundation of villages and disruption of traffic to Orissa from Kothuru in Srikakulam district following damage to the road at Haddubangi near the Orissa border.

The villages that have been inundated include VN Puram, Mathala and Penugothuvada.

The authorities have evacuated people from these areas to safer places and are moving families from three other villages to relief camps as they expect flood waters to enter these villages by midngiht.

Meanwhile, the Met department has warned of heavy rainfall in north coastal districts and in Orissa with the low pressure over north-west Bay of Bengal and adjoining north coastal Orissa and West Bengal deepening on Sunday It has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the next 48 hours in Orissa and rains in north coastal Andhra Pradesh with heavy rainfall at a few places.

The Met officials have also predicted rain in south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Strong surface winds from westerly direction with speeds reaching up to 45-50 kmph are likely along and off coastal Andhra Pradesh.

–Agencies–