Nandyal: The controversial Pothireddypadu
head regulator which regulates flow of water from a dam and
whose capacity was enhanced to 40,000 cusecs by late Chief
Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy despite strong opposition from
all parties, has proved to be the sorrow of Nandyal town and
many villages around in Kurnool district.
Nandyal, a town with a population of about two lakh, is
not new to floods. River Kundu that flows along this town
causes a deluge every other monsoon but never in the past has
that been such a devastating flood as this year.
River Kundu originates in the Orvakallu mandal of Kurnool
district and traverses through constituencies like Nandyal,
Aallagadda, Jammalamadugu, Mydukuru and Prodduturu and joins
river Penna in neighbouring Kadapa district.
Kundu witnessed at least eight floods since 1994 but none
of them caused any major destruction to properties except
crops.
Nandyal town never remains water-logged for more than 24
hours even during worst floods earlier. This time, however, it
remained under a thick sheet of water for over six days,
former minister N Md Farook, who hails from Nandyal, said.
Local Congress MP S P Y Reddy said the heavy discharge
from the Pothireddypadu head regulator, where flood water from
the Srisailam reservoir overflowed, has left Kundu flooded.
For many years, locals have been demanding that the
government should take steps to check flooding of Kundu river.
In fact, a project to widen and deepen the river at Nandyal to
prevent flooding of the town was sanctioned long ago and even
the tenders for work worth Rs 75 crore were finalised.
There has been a problem because of some encroachments
and litigation. We will soon sort out the problem and take up
the work, the MP said.
Meanwhile, more than 2,500 families have taken shelter in
relief camps put up by the district administration in various
schools in the town, while more than 5,000 families went back
to their houses.
As one steps into the town, one cannot avoid a thick
layer of slush which built up because of the heavy flood.
Like in Kurnool town, the district headquarters, Nandyal
too is stinking due to the mounds of filth that have piled up.
People have started rushing back home from relief camps
to take stock of their belongings and begin the clean-up act
as the flood water is receding in many colonies.
"I stayed in my relative`s house at Dhone (Dronachalam)
for three days after the flood and returned only this
afternoon with family. It will take at least a week or more
for us to put the house back in order," Venkata Reddy of
Nadigadda area in the town said.
Some areas like Harijanawada, RTC bus station,
Rani-Maharani Theatres junction and Saleem Nagar remain
inundated.
The national highway connecting Nandyal and Guntur has
been re-opened for traffic after remaining closed for more
than five days.
Bureau Report
