Amaravati, Sep 6 (IANS) Rescue teams continued the search for two youths who went missing in the Veligonda Project feeder canal in Andhra Pradesh’s Markapuram district, officials said on Sunday.
Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu on Sunday expressed shock over the disappearance of the two youths from Katakani Palle.
He spoke to the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) regarding the incident.
The minister ordered the officials to intensify search operations to locate the bodies of the youths.
Ramanaidu stated that as the water flows rapidly in the feeder canal, no one should venture into the water. The public must remain vigilant, as the bed of Nallamala Sagar is uneven, making it difficult to gauge the depth at any given point, he said.
He directed police and revenue officials to arrange for special security measures at the feeder canal and Nallamala Sagar.
The incident in the Veligonda Project feeder canal occurred on Saturday evening. Two youths had gone to see the water in the feeder canal of the recently inaugurated project and entered the water. As one of them was getting swept away due to the strong flow, the other tried to save him, but in the process, both were washed away.
The missing youths were identified as Koppala Raj Kumar and Kuppala Vinay Kumar, belonging to the same family.
Alerted by the locals, police and firefighting personnel launched a search operation. The search operation was called off late in the evening due to darkness. Police and firefighting personnel, with the help of expert swimmers, resumed the search operation on Sunday morning.
The Veligonda project’s first phase was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on August 31.
Veligonda project envisages diverting Krishna River water from the Srisailam Reservoir to the Nallamala Sagar through gravity, from where the water will be distributed through a network of canals to meet irrigation and drinking water requirements.
–IANS
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