Rain havoc continues in AP, 29 killed

Hyderabad, Oct 26 (INN): Heavy rains going-on for the last five days across Andhra Pradesh have continued to play havoc on Saturday by taking the death toll to 29.

Prakasam district in on top with six deaths followed by Guntur (5), Mahabubnagar (4), Hyderabad (3), Kurnool (3), Vizianagaram (2), West Godavari (2), Nalgonda (2) and Warangal (2). Two persons are reported missing in Visakhapatnam district. Most of the deaths occurred due to wall collapse.

A total of 3,230 villages in 421 mandals of 16 districts were affected due to continuous heavy rains. Srikakulam and Mahabubnagar districts are the worst hit with 800 villages each getting affected due to nature's future.

As many as 583 villages in Nalgonda, 280 in Prakasam, 150 each in West Godavari and Kadapa, 120 in Krishna, 102 in Vizianagaram, 80 in Ranga Reddy, 53 in East Godavari and 52 villages in Visakhapatnam district were badly affected. As many as 16 mandals in Hyderabad district too were affected due to heavy rains.

A total of 6,597 houses were also damaged due to heavy rains across the State. The authorities have so far evacuated 72,697 people in nine districts to safer places.

They include Srikakulam(45,000), Guntur (11,000), Prakasam (8,946), East Godavari (2,757), Visakhapatnam (2,375), Nalgonda (1,696), Vizianagaram (472), Krishna (401) and Nellore (50). They have been shifted to 178 relief camps set by the government.

Crops spread across 5.64 lakh hectares were also damaged due to heavy rains. They include Paddy (2.91 lakh Ha), Cotton (2.33 lakh Ha), Groundnut (0.09 Lakh Ha), Redgram (0.04 lakh Ha) and Maize (0.07 lakh Ha). The hotriculture crops over 32,673 hectares were also damaged which includes Chillies (15,127 Ha) and vegetables (12,515 Ha). As many as 555 cattle have also died due to rains and flooding.

A total of 12 NDRF teams have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations. While four teams have been deployed in Srikakulam, three teams are working in Guntur, two in Prakasam and one each in Nalgonda, West Godavari and Mahabubnagar district.

As many as 405 minor irrigation tanks were damaged in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts. Landslides were also reported on Srisailam ghat road which disrupted the traffic. R&B roads at a length of 753.21 kilometres and 81.19 km of PR roads have been damaged in Guntur, Prakasam and Mahabubnagar.

A total of 27 pump machines and 39 km of pipelines got damaged in Guntur affecting the rural water supply. Four PWS Schemes and three CPWS schemes were also damaged in Visakhapatnam while 4.5 km of canal breach is reported from Vizianagaram.

The entire State administration has been put alert following heavy rainfall warning by the Met Department. "Heavy to very heavy rain at a few places with extremely heavy rain at isolated places would occur in all the districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during next 48 hrs.

Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at isolated places in all the districts of Rayalaseema during the same period," the Met Department said in its latest bulletin.