Heavy rains flood Vijayawada; one dead after falling into drainage

Heavy rains lashed Vijayawada, flooding several areas and killing a 51-year-old man who fell into an underground drainage. Authorities warned of more downpours across Andhra Pradesh due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh): Heavy rains lashed Vijayawada, leaving several areas waterlogged, while a 51-year-old man died after accidentally falling into an underground drainage, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) said on Thursday.

According to the VMC, drainage cleaning work was underway near Gulammohiddin Street when the man, identified as T Madhusudhana Rao, fell into it as the area was inundated. “Heavy rains in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday left several areas waterlogged and claimed the life of Rao,” the corporation said in a release.

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The downpour, which began at around 9 pm on Tuesday, caused water levels to rise nearly three feet above road level, overflowing into streets in several localities, it said. The VMC has advised residents in low-lying areas to move to safer places.

On Wednesday night, several parts of Vijayawada and its outskirts witnessed torrential rainfall. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to take precautionary measures and monitor sudden flood inflows from streams and rivulets in the Krishna River basin.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) reported a low-pressure area over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, which is expected to move west-northwest over the next 48 hours.

The system is likely to bring heavy rains to Eluru, West Godavari, East Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Anakapalli, and Visakhapatnam districts, and moderate to heavy rains to Palnadu, Guntur, Bapatla, NTR, Krishna, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram, Manyam, and Srikakulam districts.

Flood inflows into the Krishna River were recorded at 5.5 lakh cusecs as of Thursday afternoon. APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain urged residents in and around the Krishna River basin to remain alert and avoid travel, swimming, or fishing in the river.