Floods wreak havoc in AP: 50 dead, 16 lakh affected

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Ajeet Bharti

09 October, 2009

The AP government has deployed 254 boats, about 1000 divers, 550 army personnel and six helicopters for rescue operations. More than 200 relief camps have been set up to accommodate 2.75 lakh displaced people.

HEAVY RAINS and overflowing waters from Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers of Karnataka has taken more than 50 lives and left half a million homeless in Andhra Pradesh. At least 1.6 million people have been affected by heavy floods in five districts.

Kurnool is the worst hit district with 28 dead, along with Mahabubnagar where 17 people have been reportedly killed. The remaining deaths were reported from Krishna, Nalgonda and Guntur. The rains have affected the state badly, destroying crops and harming other infrastructure worth Rs 12,225 crores. The state government has demanded the centre to declare it a national calamity and provide immediate assistance of Rs 6000 crores for relief and rescue operations.

Over 250,000 people from 200 villages and parts of Vijayawada city have been evacuated as it faces a flood threat. The high water level in Prakasam barrage has forced the authorities to take this step. The barrage has a capacity level of 23 feet and the current water level has gone to 21.9 feet. The Inflows to the reservoir reached 1.13 million cusecs for the first time on October 4, against discharge of 1.08 million cusecs into the sea. This has led to a fear of floods in the villages downstream.

Andhra chief minister K. Rosaiah on Tuesday, October 1, held a teleconference with the collectors of all five flood hit districts to assess the situation. He asked the officials of Krishna and Guntur district to be on alert for next 36 hours and take necessary actions.

Sonia Gandhi and P Chidambaram visited the flood affected areas and asked the administration to take the help of CRF for relief and rescue operations. The state government stated that relief and rescue operations were in full swing and more than four lakh people had been evacuated and sent to safe places.

Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts are heading back to normalcy and the situation here is said to be under control. The state government has deployed 254 boats, about 1000 divers, 550 army personnel and six helicopters for rescue operations. More than 200 relief camps have been set up to accommodate 2.75 lakh displaced people. Nearly four lakh food packets and as many water packets were distributed among the affected people. A team of 250 doctors are taking care of the displaced persons.

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