The flooding, described by officials as the worst here in many decades, has killed 250 people, mostly in Karnataka and AP.
Rescuers used sandbags to stop the Krishna from breaching its embankment near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (AP), on Monday as floods triggered by heavy rains left 2.5 million people homeless.
The flooding, described by officials as the worst here in many decades, has killed 250 people, mostly in Karnataka and AP. At least five million people are crammed in temporary government shelters.
Rescue workers also moved more than 200,000 people close to the river. An alert had been sounded in 100 villages along the Krishna. “These are the worst floods in 100 years,” said Dharmana Prasada Rao, AP’s minister for revenue and relief.
Officials and relief agencies said flood victims were now sheltered in over 1,200 temporary camps. They included about 2.5 million people from Karnataka and Andhra who have lost their homes. Relief officials dropped off ration and plastic sheets to villagers in Andhra and Karnataka.
HV Parashwanath, a Karnataka disaster management official said 2 million people are homeless in the state.
Delhi boosts rescue effortsThe Centre has stepped up rescue operations in the flood-hit states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Though teams from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are already on the job, the government has also ordered the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to chip in. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and home minister P Chidambaram are touring Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to see how rescue operations are being run. 714 teams from the National Disaster Response Force are working in AP and 249 in Karnataka. A total of 269 water-rescue personnel are also working with them. The armed forces are providing logistical support to rescuers. The army has deployed seven columns in Andhra Pradesh, three in Karnataka and sent four medical teams to both states. The navy has put to work 12 diving teams with boats and other rescue material.
Rs12,225cr lost in AndhraThe Andhra government has pegged the total loss due to the floods at Rs12,225 crore, of which the infrastructure loss (roads, power, irrigation tanks and telecom facilities washed away) and is estimated to be Rs10,000 crore. While several roads including NH 9 and 7 are severely damaged, the state highways connecting Kurnool, Mahabubnagar and Vijayawada are badly damaged. In the power sector, a 770-mw hydel power unit at Srisailam is under water. The unit is unlikely to restart production for the next four months. Prices of essential commodities have gone up because there are no supplies, since trucks and lorries are stranded. The agriculture and horticulture loss at about Rs 1,050 crore. At least 60,000 hectares of crop in Kurnool alone was submerged or damaged. Chilli farmers suffered the most damage.
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