Hyderabad: Incessant rains continued to wreak havoc in Andhra Pradesh yesterday, leaving 42 people dead, after which authorities shifted about a lakh of people to safer places so far.
Rains lashing the state for the last several days have caused losses to the tune of about Rs 1,868 crore as per preliminary estimates, AP Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha told PTI here.
Besides deaths of 42 people in various rain-related incidents like wall collapse, five persons went missing after heavy rains, an official statement said. Authorities have set up 235 relief camps and shifted 96,506 people to safer places.
Standing crops in 7.99 lakh hectares were inundated and 1668 cattle perished due to heavy rains, which also damaged 21,760 houses.
The statement said that 1,020 minor irrigation tanks were breached and 4,047.50 km of roads and 1,060.8 km of panchayat roads suffered damages.
It said that 19 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.
Normal life has been paralysed in several parts of the state after a heavy downpour triggered by a low pressure area and the north east monsoon battered the state for the last five days.
Public transport has been badly affected, particularly in the coastal districts, after several trains were cancelled, partially cancelled, diverted or rescheduled. Rain water has inundated low-lying areas in a number of towns and villages in several districts. AP Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy plans to carry out an aerial survey and also visit rain-affected areas in Prakasam and Guntur districts besides reviewing rescue and relief operations from tomorrow morning, official sources said.
He directed officials today to distribute 10 kg rice to victims of heavy rains and also enhance their financial assistance to Rs 5,000 from Rs 3,000.
The increased assistance is in addition to two litres of kerosene to each family, officials sources said here. Beneficiaries would include evacuees from low lying areas, fishermen and handloom weavers, among others.
The CM also held a high-level review meeting this afternoon. He spoke to the collector of Srikakulam district and other district officials over phone, enquiring about losses, damages and other details, sources said. He has directed the administration to take the help of the army and air force wherever necessary and accurately enumerate all losses as soon as possible.
He also directed that special care should be taken to provide medical assistance, food, drinking water and essential commodities to flood victims, sources said. Meanwhile, TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu continued his tour of the worst-hit north coastal districts of Srikakulam.
YSR Congress President (YSRCP) honorary president Y S Vijayamma, who visited the Krishna district, urged both Union Government and the Andhra Pradesh government to waive off all agricultural loans in flood-affected areas.
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