Heavy rain turns Machilipatnam into a pool of troubles

MACHILIPATNAM: Heavy rains since Friday afternoon wreaked havoc in Machilipatnam of Krishna district, submerging the roads and disrupting normal life. The main roads in town have been inundated by knee-deep stormwater, forcing commuters and the general public to wade through it.

Many vehicles, two-wheelers and four-wheelers, were reported to have suffered snags after being stranded in stagnated water on the roads. Hassled by the rain fury, the residents of the town vented their anger over the civic authorities for not putting in place proper stormwater drainage system. While the existing drainage system is poorly maintained, rapid urbanisation in the face of growing construction of buildings and encroachment of lake beds and water-flowing channels have also caused the rainwater to remain standstill on the roads.

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As the Machilipatnam town received heavy rains over the last four days and many areas completely submerged, the demand from the public for the appointment of an IAS officer to the municipality once again came under sharp focus. They want a full-time official to function here to protect Machilipatnam, which was converted into a municipality, from frequent flooding and demolish the illegal constructions on the municipal premises.