Andhra Pradesh: 25 killed, over 100 missing, devastation caused by flash floods in the state. 10 points

Heavy rains wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh, killing at least 25 people in flash floods in four districts of Rayalaseema including Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. Over 100 people are feared to have been washed away in separate incidents in four districts.

Here are the top 10 developments:

1. The Indian Air Force, NDRF, SDRF, police and fire service personnel rescued at least 64 people, including a police inspector, from severe floods in Anantapuramu, Kadapa and Chittoor districts, the government said in a note.
2. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted an aerial survey in Cuddapah, Anantapuramu and Chittoor districts to assess the damage. He spoke to the collectors of Cuddapah and Chittoor districts to get details about the devastation and asked the officials to calculate the crop loss as soon as the flood water recedes. The government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed.
3. The intensity of the rains eased on Saturday, but people got some respite as several habitations remained submerged due to flash floods.
4. While the situation in Tirupati city still remained grim, with many areas inundated, the view over the holy Tirumala hills was relatively better, though the rain caused inconvenience to the pilgrims. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam reopened the ghat roads for vehicular movement, though two stairs to the hills remained closed for pilgrims. Pilgrims who booked tickets online were being allowed to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara. The floods in Cuddapah, the chief minister’s native district, saw the Annamayya project collapse and left a trail of destruction in several villages below the Rajampet constituency.
5. More than 30 people have been washed away from three villages along the Cheyeru river, where water from the Annamayya Medium Irrigation Project was washed away. At one point on Friday, two lakh cusecs of flood water flowed out of the Annamayya project, compared to its normal capacity of just two. Thus, TMC ft. Cuddapah reported the highest toll of 13 till date.
6. Incessant rain in Kadiri town of Anantapuramu district caused an under-construction building to collapse and fall on an adjoining building, killing at least seven people, including three children. Police and revenue officials rescued seven more people from the accident site. According to the government, four people died in rain-related incidents in Chittoor district. In SPS Nellore district, a constable posted with the State Disaster Response Force in Vizianagaram drowned during a rescue operation at Damaramadugu village in SPS Nellore district.
7. Police said the SDRF was engaged in a rescue operation to rescue villagers trapped in the floods of the Somsila river when tragedy struck its own person. SPS Nellore district faced a record flood of over 3.32 lakh cusecs at Somsila on Saturday, leaving several villages inundated. A total of 243 relief camps were opened in four districts, where 20,923 people evacuated from the flood-affected areas were kept.
8. Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway inspected the Nandaluru-Rajampet section where the railway track was washed away under the impact of floods at Cheyeru. The track restoration work is in full swing, SCR said in a release. The General Manager directed the officers to complete the restoration work on a war footing by following all the standard safety norms. Meanwhile, at least 10 express trains on Saturday and Sunday have been canceled due to water-logging of railway tracks in the Nellore-Padugupadu section of Vijayawada division.
9. The state government said 1,549 houses worth over Rs 5 crore were damaged, while another 488 houses were submerged. Livestock also reported major losses as 612 cattle died and 3,232 chickens perished. About 1,791 small cattle such as sheep and goats were also killed in the floods, causing a total loss of over Rs 2.31 crore. 9. According to government data, over 2.33 lakh hectares of agricultural crops and about 20,000 hectares of horticulture crops have been damaged. Roads in these districts are now completely battered. Several culverts, bridges and bridges have suffered heavy damage due to the flash floods.
10. Rising rivers and streams brought heavy floods to the districts, cut off roads at some places and disrupted normal life. At many places, roads turned into canals and vehicles were washed away.

(with PTI input)

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