People spent 4 nights in tiger-infested forest

Nallamala

Oct. 6: In the most inaccessible area, at the foothills of the Nallamala in Kottapalle mandal of Kurnool district, hundreds were marooned for nearly past five days as the Srisailam backwater had flooded their villages.
Villagers had to spend four horrifying nights in the Ankalamma Gattu forest area. This is in the Nallamala tiger reserve. People had only flood water to drink and were living constantly under the fear of attack by wild animals.
When a crew from this newspaper reached the village with a relief team on Tuesday, people were heading back to their villages.
It was reported that some people were washed away as they tried to return home. Their villages are situated near the Pothireddypadu head regulator.
The residents of Madugula, Yerramatam and Musalamadugu said they were completely neglected by the government officials.
Ms B. Venkatanagalakshmi of Madugula, a flood victim, said, “We took an
unmechanised boat to reach the foothills of the forest along with our kids. Then we had climbed about 80 to 100 feet. We had to spend the nights in the forest in the pitch dark. There was always a fear of attack by wild animals. It was also raining very hard. We had no water to drink and many of us are now suffering from diarrhoea and fever.”
The relief material had to cover 88 kms to reach
Kottapalle from Kurnool, first by road and then by a boat.
Flood water in this area has completely destroyed the paddy and sunflower crops.