Farmer couple stranded in field for 3 days, rescued

Anantapur records the highest 73.5% excess rainfall in A.P.

A farming couple of Bachupalle Thanda, in Rudravaram mandal near Allagadda in Kurnool district, who were trapped in their farm near Kondavagu near Ahobilam for three days, were rescued by the Allagadda Fire Department staff.

On receiving a rescue call, the Fire Department personnel reached them with the help of lifebuoys, life jackets and ropes and brought them to safety through the Kondavagu stream, which was flowing dangerously above the normal level, according to District Fire Officer Sreenivas Reddy.

Rainfall in Anantapur district has been very good during the southwest monsoon this year, and the district so far recorded an excess rainfall of 73.5% since June 1. Against a normal of 268.2 mm, the actual recorded till 8 a.m. on Monday was 464.1 mm and it is the highest deviation for any district this season in the State.

While the district received an average of 19.9 mm of rain, all 63 mandals experienced rainfall and 23 of them got more than 20 mm, and Putlur mandal recorded 56.6 mm, according to the rainfall data provided by the district administration. This quantum of rainfall is being witnessed for the first time after 2013 and going by the historical rain data, September month is the wettest for Anantapur and it will not be a surprise if the entire yearly average rainfall of 550 mm is received by the end of September.

Srisailam inflows

Meanwhile, Srisailam Reservoir has been receiving a good amount of water from the Jurala and Sunkesula for the past three days and the reservoir was having a storage of 214.36 tmcft at 6 p.m. on Monday and getting inflows of 2,25,082 cusecs.

While Sunkesula was contributing 51,732 cusecs, the remaining out of 1,90,693 cusecs was coming from Jurala. While Andhra Pradesh was producing power and utilising 30,662 cusecs, there was no production on the Telangana side.

Pothyreddypadu Head Regulator was drawing 1,500 cusecs and Malyal for HNSS - 1688 cusecs taking the total outflow from the dam to 2,58,514 cusecs with 2,23,864 getting released from the spillway by lifting seven gates.