AP flood situation grim; toll mounts

The flood situation in parts of Andhra Pradesh remained grim on Friday even as the death toll mounted to 58.

The state received heavy rains for the fifth consecutive day due to active south-west monsoon coupled with low pressure area adjoining coastal areas of north Andhra Pradesh.

Due to heavy inflows on account of rains, authorities let out flood waters from Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, Tungabhadra and Somasila dams.

The well-marked low pressure area over west central Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of north Andhra Pradesh and south Orissa persists.

"The system may concentrate into depression during next 48 hours. Under its influence, fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over north Andhra Pradesh and Orissa will occur during the next two to three days," the meteorological department said.

The floods due to heavy rain have caused extensive damage in the state. As many as 57 villages were marooned and 60 mandals were affected. As many as 33,570 families were affected out of whom 9,257 families were evacuated and lodged in 31 relief camps.

The death toll mounted to 37 due to rains in the last five days even as another 21 deaths were reported due to thunderbolt since the second week of September.

In all, 212 minor irrigation sources breached or damaged in Kurnool, Anantapur, Chittoor, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Khammam, Warangal and Nizamabad districts.
About 1,565 kms of roads were also damaged in various districts, disrupting the traffic.

Kurnool remained the worst-hit with 45 villages in 26 mandals affected by floods. About 1.6 lakh persons were affected in the district where 9,000 families (about 25,000 persons) were evacuated and lodged in 23 relief camps.

The authorities distributed 2.1 lakh food packets and 2.5 lakh water sachets in the district. 15 medical teams organised 225 medical camps in the affected villages.

Rice and kerosene are being distributed to the affected families in all the affected districts. Financial assistance is being paid for clothing and utensils. 

According to preliminary estimates, 20,544 houses were damaged and crops over an extent of 118,417 hectares were inundated in flood waters.

The death toll due to rains included 11 in Guntur, seven in Kurnool, five in Mahbubnagar, four in Anantapur, three in Kadapa, two each in Warangal and Nalgonda and one each in Khammam, Nellore and Krishna.

Of the 21 deaths due to thunderbolt, Karimnagar accounted for 10 deaths, followed by
Warangal with seven, Khammam with three and Adilabad with one. The government has announced ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.