Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh continues to reel under the aftermath of heavy rains and flash floods that wreaked havoc on the state. A video making the rounds on social media on Monday morning bears witness to the lives of 30 workers of Tumukunta Garments whose bus almost got washed away in floodwater in Hindupuram Kotnur River near Maruva. Thankfully, the workers managed to survive as locals came forward and helped rescue those trapped on the bus.
Deaths caused due to heavy rain Andhra Pradesh
Heavy rains in the past few days caused landslides and damaged buildings. The floods have so far claimed 41 lives in the four districts while 17 people went missing. Kadapa district has accounted for 13 deaths while seven deaths were reported from Anantapur and four from Chittoor.
According to officials, nearly 24 lakh people was affected by the floods. A total of 1,316 villages were hit by the heavy rains. The rains and floods damaged 1,549 houses.
Andhra Pradesh government to distribute essential commodities
After chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s aerial survey of the flood-hit areas on November 20, he announced that the government will distribute essential ration commodities like rice, pulse, edible oil, onions, and potatoes to all flood-affected families free of cost.
According to the government order, for the families whose houses were inundated with floodwater, the state government will distribute 25 kgs of rice, along with 1 kg each of red gram, onions, and potatoes. A litre of cooking oil will also be given to each affected family.
Compensation to families of flood victims
Expressing deep condolences to the families of people who lost their lives due to heavy rains, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on November 19, directed state government officials to provide them with a compensation of Rs 5 lakh on a war footing basis.
He also instructed officials to provide Rs 2,000 to each family affected by floods and said the money will be useful to mend their houses.
Agriculture damage
The natural calamity has damaged agriculture and horticulture crops over 6.33 lakh acres and worth over Rs 3,000 crore. The actual loss, however, is likely to be even higher by the time the district administrations take up the field survey. The massive damage is in Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Nellore districts.
Evacuation and relief camps
The authorities evacuated nearly 21,000 people and set up 243 relief camps. Meanwhile, there was no respite for people in the temple town of Tirupati as several residential areas remained inundated.
Trains Cancelled and diverted
For a second consecutive day, railway authorities announced the cancellation of several trains. According to South Central Railway, due to the heavy inflow of water between the Padugupadu – Nellore section of Vijayawada Division, 13 trains have been cancelled.
Over 40 trains were cancelled on Sunday as the railway track was damaged or was submerged by floodwater. Railway authorities have taken up repair and restoration of the damaged track.
Special helplines have been opened at all major railway stations. With hundreds of passengers stranded, the authorities with the help of NGOs arranged food and drinking water for them at Kavali, Chirala and Ongole stations.
Humongous Traffic jams
Vehicles from Tirupati to Srikalhasti were diverted at Tottembedu, leading to huge traffic jams on the national highway.
The floods due to the overflowing Somasila reservoir damaged the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway-16 in the Nellore district. The highway had to be closed down for traffic following a heavy breach of the road at Padugupadu and also near Nellore town.
The traffic between Nellore and Vijayawada has been suspended, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded for five kilometres on either side.
Bus services suspended
With bus services suspended, hundreds of passengers were stuck in the Nellore bus station. Hundreds of bus passengers were also stranded in the flood-hit Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur districts.
(with inputs from IANS and ANI)