Visakhapatnam Faces Heavy Rains and Flooding, Disrupting Daily Life

Visakhapatnam has been heavily impacted by continuous rainfall for the past 24 hours, caused by the northeast monsoons and a low-pressure system. The city recorded 6 cm of rainfall, with Bheemili receiving 3.3 cm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The relentless downpour has led to severe disruptions in daily life, including landslides, flooding, and waterlogging across various parts of the city.

In the Gajuwaka area, a tin shed collapsed in Kongapalem village, injuring 45-year-old Nakka Ramakrishna Reddy. While no further injuries or major house collapses have been reported, the collapse has raised concerns about the structural safety of makeshift shelters in heavy rains. Waterlogging has been widespread, with key areas like Poorna Market, Gnanapuram, MVP Colony, and Gajuwaka heavily impacted. In Gnanapuram, water accumulation under a railway overbridge nearly brought traffic to a halt, with motorists struggling to navigate flooded streets.

Residents living in hillock areas like Gopalapatnam, Kailasapuram, and Hanumanthwaka are particularly anxious about potential landslides, while hawkers and vendors in RK Beach, MVP Colony, and other parts of the city stayed off the streets. The IMD has forecasted thundershowers for the next three days, with the low-pressure system likely to intensify over the Bay of Bengal on October 22.

Additionally, sea levels surged at the Uppada coast in Kakinada District and Vodalarevu in Allavaram mandal due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal. The violent sea conditions have rendered the Uppada-Kakinada beach road unusable, prompting the police to cancel traffic overnight. Houses in villages like Subbampeta and Ameenabad have been submerged, and coconut trees uprooted, while 104 houses have been inundated by the rising sea.

In other areas, such as Nellore and Tirupati, heavy rains have started to recede, bringing relief to residents. However, the downpour damaged 656.35 hectares of crops and submerged 115 houses in Nellore. Despite the damage, reservoirs in Tirupati district, like the Thondamanadu tank, have been replenished, offering benefits to local farmland.

Authorities are working diligently to restore normalcy, with officials visiting affected areas to assess the damage and ensure necessary relief measures are taken.