Vijayawada landslide tragedy: Ongoing rain and safety concerns grip hilly areas

VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after landslide claimed the life of six people and injured five others at Sunnapu Battilu locality in Vijayawada city, fear has gripped people living in hilly terrains as heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

As per the NCRB’s report on accidental deaths due to ‘natural causes’ and according to AP police, a total of 48 persons were killed in the state due to landslides between 2014 and 2024 (so far), with 13 deaths reported in 2019, followed by 12 in 2015.

According to police and revenue department officials, five of a tribal family died in a landslide in October 2014 when cyclone hudhud wreaked havoc at Medarasola village of Araku Valley mandal in undivided Visakhapatnam district.

In December 2015, four persons were killed after a huge boulder rolled from a hill and crashed over their house at Sanjeevayya Colony under Kancharapalem police station limits in Vizag city following heavy rains.

YA Reddy, a social activist, said: “Many hills and hillocks in parts of Vizag have been encroached or were given to people from below middle-class to construct houses. Several hilly areas such as Kailasapuram, Arilova, Hanumanthuwaka, Sanjeevayya Colony, Srinivasa Nagar, HB Colony and Gajuwaka have become residential areas, he added.

On the other hand, over 2.5 lakh people have been residing on the slope of the hills in Vijayawada city, which has reported more than 10 landslides in the past one decade. The leaders and activists of left parties have been advocating for a permanent solution to ensure safety of those residing in these areas.

“Whenever heavy rains lash, we live in fear and go through a tough time. The officials and public representatives have promised us that retaining walls will be built in all the hilly areas, but nothing has been done so far,” said T Anil Kumar, resident of a hilly area in Vizag city.

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