After the monsoon fury in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh claimed 33 lives in the past few days, flood waters finally started receding in several parts of the two southern states as there were no intense rain spells on Tuesday. Taking advantage of the situation, both the state governments have stepped up relief works in the affected areas.
In the past few days, incessant torrential downpours claimed 16 lives in Telangana and 17 in Andhra Pradesh. Continuous heavy showers battered several roads, inundated rail tracks, and submerged crops on thousands of acres of land.
Telangana monsoon fury
CM Revanth Reddy reviews situation
In a bid to take stock of the situation, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy on Tuesday visited some inundated areas and held a review meeting with ministers and officials at Mahabubabad district Collectorate later.
The chief minister directed officials across the state to prepare reports on encroachments on water bodies like lakes, on the losses caused by the current spell of heavy rains and flood, and to take measures to check the spread of diseases after flood water receded.
Ex-gratia announced
In view of the grim situation, the Telangana government has already announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the kin of those who died in rain-related incidents. The state government has written to the Centre urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit and see the damage caused by the heavy rains, he said.
Damage of 5,000 crores
The government has put the damage due to the downpour at over rupees 5,000 crore and sought immediate assistance of rupees 2,000 crore from the Centre.
Rescue ops on
Police personnel of Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool districts, in coordination with the Fire Department, rescued 10 Chenchu tribe members, including children of Dindi mandal, who were stranded in the flood waters of the Dindi river, a release from Telangana Police said.
Governor released fund
In view of the severe impact of the recent heavy rains and floods in Telangana, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, has released Rs 30 lakh from his discretionary grants to the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Telangana State Branch, to take up the immediate relief activities.
Moreover, Telangana government employees have also donated their one-day basic pay totalling Rs 130 crore to the flood relief measures.
Andhra Pradesh monsoon fury
CM Chandrababu Naidu reviews situation
In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also visited the affected areas and directed all officials to work efficiently in extending relief and helping flood victims.
According to State Finance Minister P Keshav, Vijayawada city is slowly receding while rescue and relief operations continue.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority managing director R Kurmanadh said about 60 to 70 colonies continue to be waterlogged out of 100 that suffered the fate.
Power shortage reported
In light of acute power shortage in some localities in Vijayawada, people were scrambling to charge their mobile phones at the railway station, among other difficulties.
Complaints were also trickling in about how some private boat operators are extorting money from hapless flood victims.
Relief camps
As many as 44,041 people were accommodated in the relief camps in the state while five choppers, two from the Navy and three from the Air Force, are dropping food items and airlifting people from marooned places.
Trains cancelled, restoration underway
South Central Railway officials said restoration works are in full swing where breaches occurred due to heavy rains in the region. A senior official of the SCR told PTI that as at 7 pm on Tuesday, 563 trains were cancelled and 185 had been diverted.
The official further said the restoration work of the tracks in the Division is expected to be completed by Wednesday evening if there are no obstacles.
IMD's Cyclone alert
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department observed that a cyclonic circulation is lying over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and vicinity between 3.1 km and 5.8 km above mean sea level.
"A fresh low pressure area is likely to form over west - central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal around September 5," the Met Department added.
