Spate of drownings in agency areas raises safety concerns
A series of drowning incidents reported from the agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district has caused concern, with several lives lost in separate mishaps in Pedabayalu, Munchingiputtu, Hukumpeta, Dumbriguda, Ananthagiri, and Araku Valley mandals in recent days.
Even as the deaths of three girls in Mallangummi waterfall in Ananthagiri mandal on April 2 remain fresh, three boys drowned in Matsyagedda stream near Lakeputtu in Pedabayalu mandal on Sunday. The victims — G. Harshith (10), K. Pradeep (10), and P. Bablu (8), all from Pannedu village — had reportedly gone to the stream for a bath and ventured into deeper waters while attempting to catch fish.
In the earlier incident, Salepu Trisha (17), Ratnakumari (16), and Salepu Pavitra (15), all from Jambuvulasa village under Burja panchayat, drowned after slipping into a deep water pocket while bathing at the Mallangummi waterfall on the Ananthagiri–Hukumpeta border.
Bathing, swimming, and fishing in streams are part of daily life in tribal areas. However, officials point to a lack of awareness of varying stream depths and sudden depressions as a key reason for such accidents. Water levels and flow tend to change after rains, creating deep pits and strong currents even in otherwise familiar locations.
Boat accidents have also been reported from the region. On March 9, a tribal farmer, Vanta Gopinath from Kummariputtu village in Munchingiputtu mandal, died after a country boat he was travelling in capsized while he was on his way to the mandal headquarters to sell bananas. His body was recovered after a 10-day search by disaster response teams.
Such incidents are frequent during the monsoon in areas such as GK Veedhi, Pedabayalu, Munchingiputtu, G. Madugula, Dumbriguda, and Ananthagiri mandals, where streams swell, posing risks to those crossing them.
Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar has urged people to exercise caution. In a statement issued on Sunday, he advised residents not to enter streams or waterfalls even if water levels appear low during summer, and called upon parents to keep a close watch on children.