Man washed away as heavy rains lash Bhadrachalam in Telangana

KHAMMAM: Following incessant rains since Tuesday night, a man was washed away in flood water on the outskirts of Bhadrachalam town on Wednesday. Vista complex, Annadana Satram and 35 shops in the Ramalayam premises in the temple town were flooded.

Several devotees had to return without having prasadam as the Annadana Satram area was flooded.

Similarly, Cherla road, Ashok Nagar, Ayyappa colony, Kotha colony and other areas in Bhadrachalam town were inundated following the alleged failure of officials in switching on motors in time to pump backwaters into river Godavari.

Several villages were inundated in erstwhile Khammam district. Road transport was cut off to many villages in Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts.

Sunnam Satish, a resident of Pamedu in Chhattisgarh, was washed away in drain water at Cherla road. NRDF personnel, panchayat staff and police retrieved his body after an eight-hour intense search.

Meanwhile, the Kalyana Mandapam at Sri Kusuma Harnath Baba temple located atop a hillock had sunk due to rains, officials said. They added that the digging of hillock by some people for construction of houses caused sinking of the temple.