North Andhra region experienced the season’s highest rainfall of above 7cm in few parts — which is also the highest in coastal Andhra — due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal in the last 24 hours. Incessant rains lashed Viziagagaram and S. Kota mandal recording 8cm and 7cm rainfall respectively. It has also led to stagnation of rainwater. Thousands of acres of paddy fields in three districts of the east coast of Bay of Bengal have been inundated with rainwater, stagnating in the fields since Monday night.
In Prakasam district, with the water reserves increasing and weather department announcing continuous rains for the next 48 hours, farmers have started tilling in various areas of the district. Officials of the AP seeds department said that as many as 8,084 quintals of seeds would be distributed to farmers. In Krishna district, groundwater levels have increased by three metres on an average due to rains since June. The average ground water level was 10.66 metres in May 2012 as against 7.65 metres in August 2012 in the district. The groundwater department has installed 41 piezometers across the district to count the water levels.
Meanwhile, inflows at the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada crossed 1,18,000 cusecs on Tues-day night due to extensive rains in the catchments areas of Krishna river in western Krishna, Khammam and Warangal districts. Irrigation officials released 1.10 lakh cusecs of floodwaters from the Prakasam Barrage into the sea. In Kurnool district, an estimated 89.6mm rainfall was recorded in the mandal, resulting in flooding of the Bhavanashi, Gundlakkamavagu and Suddhavagu streams in the mandal. The rains have wreaked havoc on crops, especially maize.
Meanwhile, bus services in certain areas were also stopped. In Adilabad, due to the incessant rains, some cows were reported to be washed away and three houses had collapsed. Coal production also came to a halt in Sri-rampur opencast mine. The Meteorological department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in the state in the next 24 hours.