Flood alarm sounded in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: Flood alarm sounded in Srikakulam in the wake of report of incessant rainfall in the catchment areas of the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers in Odisha. According to reports from the Vamsadhara river water project engineering officials, rainfall data in milli metre (mm) recorded at different points is 257.59 mm at Kutragada, 114.33 mm at Gudari, 80.48 mm at Gunupuru, 52.70 mm at Kaasinagar in Odisha and 51.40 mm at Meliaputti and 38.10 mm at Gotta barrage in Srikakulam district.

The rivers are receiving inflows and 3,610 cusecs of water from Gotta barrage. Due to the force of water flow, right main canal (RMC) bunds were damaged in Sarubujjili and LNPeta mandals and fields were inundated by the floodwater.

Due to rains and floods, six houses were partially damaged at different parts, roads affected and power poles crashed in different mandals. Highest rainfall was reported in Kanchili, Kaviti, Mandasa and Etcherla mandals. District collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar directed officials to take relief measures soon after receiving information on rain related damages. The collector instructed officials to take all necessary steps to prevent seasonal and rain related ailments. He also directed for creation of awareness among people on sanitation and also for preventive measures.

Pundkar enquired about mosquitoe prevention in the wake of rainy season and stagnation of water at low-lying areas.

CPM leaders DGovinda Rao, BKrishna Murthy and others inspected the inundated fields in Sarubujjili and LNPeta mandals on Tuesday and blamed the governments for non-allocation of funds for canal maintenance. They demanded Rs25,000 as compensation for each acre for loss of crops