In a major rescue operation, Dundigal police gave a fresh lease of life to members of around 70 families in Mallampet village, who were trapped in water overflowing from Mallampet cheruvu. Police took the help of local fishermen and swimmers and brought the stranded men, women, children and elders safely on Friday.
SHO Dundigal, Y. Rama Krishna told that soon after they noticed that the lake was filling to the brim, they started making announcements asking people to vacate their
houses and move to the nearby rehabilitation centres. However, the villagers said that water had never entered their village and hence were not willing to leave their homes. When water gushed into their houses on Friday, they sent out an SOS, following which police swung into action.
Ironically, some villagers refused to leave their homes, all in the lake catchment areas, suspecting it to be an eviction drive taken up by the police.