Rains claim two lives, hampered coal production in SCCL mines

Khammam: Incessant rainfall lashing out erstwhile Khammam district claimed two lives, affected normal life and hampered coal production in SCCL opencast mines for the past couple of days. The dead body of a 55 year old woman, A Durgamma who was washed away in Gubbalamangi stream at Sitanagaram near Parnasala in Dummugudem mandal in Kothagudem […]

Khammam: Incessant rainfall lashing out erstwhile Khammam district claimed two lives, affected normal life and hampered coal production in SCCL opencast mines for the past couple of days.

The dead body of a 55 year old woman, A Durgamma who was washed away in Gubbalamangi stream at Sitanagaram near Parnasala in Dummugudem mandal in Kothagudem district on Friday was traced out on Saturday.

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Similarly the dead body of a youth V Shanker (30) who was washed away on Friday while he was crossing Kodipunjulavagu at Samithi Singaram in Manugur mandal in Kothagudem district was found by the locals.

The work of overburden removal and coal production has been affected in SCCL opencast mines at JK 5 OC in Yellandu mandal and at Koyagudem OC in Tekulapalli mandal, at GK OC in Kothagudem, at Manurgur and at JVR and Kistaram OCs in Sathupalli mandal of Khammam district.

As mines were filled with rainwater and the tracks turned slippery the SCCL officials were trying to drain out the water with heavy load pumps. But continuous rainfall was hindering their work. The officials were supplying coal to thermal power stations from reserve stocks at the mines.

Taliperu reservoir in Cherla mandal has been receiving huge inflows as a result officials have listed 20 gates to discharge 20,792 cusecs of excess water downstream. At Peddavagu project at Gummadavalli village of Aswaraopet 2749 cusecs of excess water was being discharged.

With overflowing streams and tanks low lying areas in many towns and mandals in both Kothagudem and Khammam districts were inundated causing severe inconvenience to people. The water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam reached 20.2 feet in the morning.

Kothagudem District Collector Anudeeep Durishetty held a teleconference with revenue, police and other departments to review the rain situation. He directed mandal and district level officials to be available locally to monitor the situation.

He told officials to put up barricades at overflowing streams and roads that were flooded with rainwater. Since water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam was increasing, devotees visiting Bhadradri Temple should not be allowed to enter the river for bathing.