Incessant rain since a few days has taken the sheen off Deepavali, the festival of lights, in Ongole and other parts of Prakasam district.
While it was COVID-19 last year that deprived people of the festive joy, it is continuous wet spell this time that has left revellers and shopkeepers in the district disappointed.
Unabated downpour has left the P.V.R.M. Boys High school, where a large number of shops selling crackers come up, in a sheet of water. While a majority of cracker sellers did not put up stalls at the sprawling grounds fearing more rain in the next two days, those that did open their shops saw little business.
All arterial roads wore a deserted look as there was no let-up in the showers.
Textile shops as also shops selling sweets and savouries on the arterial Gandhi road and other places witnessed thin crowd. However, hawkers went round the city selling earthern lamps and colours.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department(IMD) predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the coastal region as a trough at mean sea level runs from Comorin area to westcentral Bay of Bengal off South Andhra Pradesh coast.
Kothapatnam received a maximum rainfall of 36.4 mm followed by Singarayakonda 32.8 mm, Podili 10.6 mm, Ongole 8.6 mm, Kandukur 8.2 mm, Tallur 7.2 mm and Vetapalem 7.2 mm, according to a data compiled by the Chief Planning Officer.
‘Only eco-friendly crackers’
Meanwhile, Prakasam Superintendent of Police Malika Garg said people would be allowed to burst only eco-friendly fire crackers and that too, only between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday as per the directions issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal.
She asked people to celebrate the festival by avoiding big social gatherings. People should maintain social distance during shopping and while bursting of crackers. Only soaps should be used for cleaning of hands instead of hand sanitizers. In case of mishaps, people can call 100 or 101 or drop a Whatsapp message on 9121102266.
