Rains disrupt normal life in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana; NDRF deployed for rescue, relief operations

Very heavy rainfall, under the influence of a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, has left Palnadu region in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh battered, and rail and road transport disrupted due to flooding. The NDRF has been deployed for rescue and relief operation. This is the second time in less than a fortnight that Palnadu has witnessed very heavy downpour of upto 22.8 cm, which threw normal life out of gear. Many passenger trains were cancelled on the Nadikudi-Guntur section, while express trains from Secunderabad, which normally pass through Guntur, have been diverted as the rail tracks near Piduguralla were inundated. Three teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the Palnadu region for rescue and relief operations even as the weather forecast said rains are likely to continue till Friday. About 40 passengers of an APSRTC bus were rescued after it was stuck midstream on a causeway at Krosuru and flood water gushed in from Utukuru rivulet. Locals used ropes to rescue the stranded passengers. [caption id=“attachment_3017044” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Representational image. Naresh Sharma[/caption] The KL Rao Sagar Project, downstream Nagarjuna Sagar, has been receiving heavy water inflows due to downpour in the catchment areas of neighbouring Telangana. It is currently holding over 25 tmcft of water and the government has decided to fill it up to 30 tmcft and release excess water into the sea through Prakasam Barrage. With Munneru rivulet also in spate, the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada is full to the brim. Accordingly, Krishna district authorities have started discharging 10,000 to 20,000 cusecs of water from the barrage into the sea. Rivulets in Guntur district are in spate, inundating housing colonies in Sattenapalli town and nearby villages. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation from the Command and Control Centre and directed the officials to keep two copters ready for emergency operations. Deputy Chief Minister (Home and Disaster Management) N China Rajappa and Agriculture Minister P Pulla Rao were rushed to Guntur district to oversee the rescue and relief operations. On Thursday, five persons were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Three persons were washed away in the Kuppaganji rivulet near Chilakaluripet, while another was rescued by the villagers. One person was killed in a lightning strike at Brahmanapalli village near Piduguralla, while another was killed when an uprooted tree fell on him. Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, who also holds the Home and Disaster Management portfolios and who has been touring Chilakaluripet to oversee the rescue-and-relief operations in the flood-hit areas, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. As there was a forecast of more rain in the next couple of days, people living in the low-lying areas were being evacuated to safer places, the deputy chief minister said. He has directed the officials to be on a “high alert” to tackle any eventuality. Rains continue in Hyderabad, Telangana, low-lying areas water-logged On Thursday Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao instructed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to take the help of Army and NDRF for the relief measures if needed, as rains are lashing the city for the last two days. Rao, who is in Delhi, spoke to GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy on phone and asked to be “extra cautious” in view of the forecast of heavy rains in the next four days over Telangana, an official release quoted him as saying. If necessary, help of the Army, NDRF, police and other agencies can be taken, the CM said. [caption id=“attachment_3017048” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Representational image. Naresh Sharma[/caption] Normal life in some low-lying areas of the city is disrupted due to the water-logging, and traffic has been hit badly due to the downpour. Met department has said “heavy to very” rains are likely in isolated places during the next four days in the state. Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao and some senior officials visited Allamthota Baavi and Mayur Marg in Begumpet which are inundated due to sudden overflowing of Begumpet nala. Rao also inspected relief camps set up by the Government. A GHMC official said there was a rainfall of 20 mm in eight areas in just one hour between 1 pm and 2 pm on Thursday. Water entered into some buildings in Nizampet and Bachupalli on the outskirts of the city. On Friday, the Telangana government asked IT companies to allow their employees in the city to work from home so as to avoid venturing out in view of incessant rains here for past two days, even as help has been sought from the Army for rescue operation in some areas. Following the heavy downpour which crippled normal life ,the state government has declared a holiday for educational institutions in Hyderabad on Friday and Saturday. The government has sought help of the Army for rescue operation in some areas of the city, for which the Defence wing has agreed, a senior official of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation said. “We sought their help and they also came forward. They have been given maps and other information of areas like Gachibowli, Nizampet, Alwal and Hakimpet. They are willing to swing into action whenever we call them, the GHMC official told PTI. Telangana’s Information Technology Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said they have sent an advisory to IT companies’ association to either declare a holiday or allow their employees to work from home following forecast of heavy rains on Friday and Saturday. “We have asked the association to send an advisory to all the IT companies located in the city. Accordingly, they issued advisory to all the IT firms. This is in the interest of safety of the employees. The response from companies is good,” Ranjan said. With inputs from PTI