Rains wreak havoc: Toll 20

• Life paralysed in low-lying areas in many districts
• Irrigation sources full to the brim; streams in spate
• Road connectivity cut off to over 1,000 villages
• Crops damaged in 4.34 lakh hectares
• NDRF teams working along with State officials
• Property damage put at over Rs 2,000 cr

Torrential rains triggered by North-East Monsoon and a low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal continue to lash several districts in the State. Telangana districts are now facing more threat as the low pressure area is heading towards the region. Heavy rains have already wreaked havoc in Costal and Rayalaseema districts for the past four days.

According to official sources, toll rose to 20 as more deaths were reported in the day in the rain-related incidents. Preliminary estimates put the loss of property and crops at Rs 2000 crore. Cotton, maize and paddy crops in the extent of 4.34 lakh hectares were damaged till date. The crop losses due to the rains are estimated to be many times more than that caused by the Phailin Cyclone.

Low-lying areas in Hyderabad, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Gudivada, Machilipatnam, Guntur, Ongole, Nalgonda, Eluru, Miryalaguda, Narasapuram and Proddutur and several villages in the three regions continue to be under a sheet of water. With the rains continuing to batter, many areas under Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad are put on high alert.

Above 50 streams and drains are overflowing and road links to over 1000 villages in East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool, YSR Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Nalgonda, Khammam and Ranga Reddy districts have been cut off. Some 10 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams have rushed to the badly affected areas and are taking up in relief works.

The swollen streams include Tammileru in Khammam and West Godavari districts, Basavannavagu, Ogileru and Kondlavagu in Guntur, Chimalavagu and Budameru in Krishna, Gundlakamma in Prakasam, BC Palem Vagu in Kurnool, Gomathi, Raiwada and Sarada rivers and Rayagadavagu in Visakhapatnam and Kondachilakavagu and Haliavagu in Nalgonda district.

Almost all the minor water resources like tanks, ponds and lakes in coastal districts received heavy inflows. Cattle and poultry birds were washed away in large numbers in different places. They included 200 sheep in Guntur and 300 poultry birds in YSR Kadapa.

Following landslips at Brahmagiri hills on Srisailam Ghat Road, traffic was diverted. Heavy rains were reported at Peddamudunur in Mahabubnagar (198mm). Kondapuram, Halia and Junuthula in Nalgonda recorded a rainfall of 185mm, 151mm and 150mm respectively. A total of 4,699 houses were damaged either partially or fully.

Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha said that 135 relief camps were opened in Srikakulam, Guntur, Prakasam, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts and 68,000 people were evacuated.

He said that 117 minor irrigation sources in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts developed breaches. Officials opened eleven gates of Musi Project in Nalgonda district.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday reviewed the rescue and relief operations along with Ministers and top officials concerned at Secretariat.

He asked the officials to step up the relief operations on a war footing and assist the affected people.

He directed the Health Department to deploy more medical teams and provide adequate medicines.