AP rains death toll touches 42; losses estimated at Rs 17 K Cr

Hyderabad, Oct 27 : The death toll due to heavy rains that lashed several parts of Andhra Pradesh in the last six days have touched 42 on Sunday.

Guntur district in on top with eight deaths due to incidents of wall collapse followed by Nalgonda (7), Parkasam (6), Mahabubnagar (4), Hyderabad (3), Kurnool (3), Vizianagaram (3), Chittoor (3), West Godavari (3) and Warangal (2). As many as five people have been reported missing with two each in Visakhapatnam and Krishna and one in Karimnagar district.

The State Government has estimated that the total losses due to heavy rains to be around Rs 1,727 crore. Prakasam district is on top with Rs 596 Cr followed by Warangal (Rs 411 Cr), Guntur (Rs 271 Cr), Nalgonda (Rs 250 Cr), Mahabubnagar (Rs 142 Cr), West Godavari (Rs 37 Cr) and Medak (Rs 20 Cr).

A total of 4,190 villages in 521 mandals of 16 districts were affected due to continuous heavy rains. West Godavari, Srikakulam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Vizianagaram are the worst affected districts. A total of 21,682 houses were also damaged due to heavy rains across the State.

The authorities have so far evacuated 84,769 people in nine districts to safer places. They include Srikakulam (45,000), Guntur (14,053), Prakasam (8,946), East Godavari (10,866), Visakhapatnam (2,375), Nalgonda (1,820), Vizianagaram (710), Krishna (401) and Nellore (50). They have been shifted to 225 relief camps set by the government.

As many as 543 medical camps have also been set up where so far, 14,297 people have been treated. A total of 580 Medical teams and 508 Medical officers have also been deployed along with 3,311 para-medical personnel in the affected districts.

Crops spread across 7.99 lakh hectares were also damaged due to heavy rains. They include Cotton (4.07 lakh Ha), Paddy (3.48 lakh Ha), Maize (0.14 lakh Ha), Groundnut (0.09 Lakh Ha),Sugarcane (0.03 Lakh Ha), Tobaco (0.04 Lakh Ha), Blackgram (0.03 Lakh Ha) and Redgram (0.06 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 1668 cattle have also died due to rains and flooding.

A total of 19 NDRF teams have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations. While five teams have been deployed in Visakhapatnam, four teams are working in Srikakulam ditrict, three in Guntur, two each in Prakasam and West Godavari and one each in Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Krishna districts.

As many as 1020 minor irrigation tanks have breached across the State in the last 5-6 six days. R&B roads at a length of 4047.50 kilometres and 1060.80 km of PR roads have been damaged in several districts.

The entire administration has remained on alert following heavy rainfall warning by the Met Department. “Moderate to rather heavy Rain or thundershowers would occur at most places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and at many places over Rayalaseema, the Met Department said.

“Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at a few places in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur of coastal Andhra and in the districts of Karimanagar, Warangal, Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahaboobnagar, Rangareddy and Hyderabad of Telangana during next 48 hours,” the Met Department’s latest weather bulletin said. INN