Crops damaged in 59,878 hectares

• Flood level recedes at Bhadrachalam; and Dowleswaram
• Five relief choppers withdrawn
• North Telangana faces more rain threat.

Hyderabad: Flood level in Godavari which started receding at Bhadrachalam and Dowleswaram where it touched 17 metres on Monday. Five of the seven choppers engaged in relief and rescue operations were withdrawn on Monday. The relief and rescue operations were in full swing in the marooned villages. Two helicopters and 60 boats carried food packets and other essential commodities to the relief camps. In addition to seven NDRF teams deployed in six districts, additional teams were being sent to Narsapur in West Godavari district and other places.

Farmers have borne the brunt of flood ravage in the eight affected districts with standing crops damaged in 59,878 hectares. The crop loss break-up in hectares is: Cotton - 23,245; soyabean - 18,430; maize - 10,353; paddy - 4,606; pulses - 2,988. Horticulture crops were submerged in 3,153 hectares. Other losses include 240 minor irrigation tanks were breached and 3,877 km of road and 5,204 houses badly damaged. Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Raghuveera Reddy said an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each will be paid to the kin of those who died in floods and rain-related incidents.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the flood situation with the officials of departments concerned. He directed the Chief Secretary PK Mohanty and other senior officials to monitor the relief operations closely. He wanted priority to be given to supply of food, water, medicine and kerosene to people stranded in the marooned villages and at relief camps. Rice and kerosene will be distributed as per the existing procedure.

Instructions were given for distributing 20 kg rice and 5 litres of kerosene to each affected family before they leave relief camps Meanwhile, North Telangana, which received some respite from heavy rain for the last two days, is facing a fresh threat of more rain in the next two days. The State has so far received 29 percent of excess rainfall this monsoon. Officials said 13 districts have received excess rainfall this season while it was normal in eight districts. Only Anantapur and Visakhapatnam districts have received deficit rainfall.