India’s Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were battered by torrential rains for the second consecutive day, resulting in at least 20 fatalities in both the states, large-scale flooding and waterlogging, along with massive disruptions to road and rail traffic.
According to the South Central Railway, a total of six trains were cancelled on Monday (September 2) due to flooding on tracks at multiple locations. On Sunday (September 1), a total of 140 trains were cancelled and 97 diverted. Rivers were in spate and thousands were evacuated by national and state disaster response forces from flooded areas to relief camps.
Heavy rains over two days due to a depression has created a flood-like situation in several districts of both the states, with Vijayawada district in Andhra Pradesh the worst hit. People were left stranded in several areas of the city as water entered their houses while vehicles stood submerged in the streets.
With a prediction of heavy rains on Monday, all schools remain closed in Hyderabad district while Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy appealed to offices and businesses to allow employees to work from home.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of both states, assuring them of all possible help from the Centre.
ROAD, RAIL TRAFFIC DISRUPTED
The South Central Railway (SCR) zone, which also includes the Vijayawada division, cancelled 140 trains and diverted 97 more on Sunday (September 1). At least 6,000 passengers were provided with breakfast and drinking water at Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Tenali, Vijayawada, Nidubrolu and Bapatla railway stations.
The Chennai-bound Tamil Nadu Express was halted at Rayanapadu railway station and its passengers were provided with packed food items, along with lunch arrangements. The railways arranged for 84 buses from Rayanapaud to Vijayawada and Kondapalli to Vijayawada for stranded passengers, besides setting up emergency control rooms and helplines.
Telangana’s Suryapeta SP Sunpreet Singh advised people heading to Vijayawada and Khammam to postpone their journeys due to the inclement weather. “Due to heavy rains, water is flowing on NH 65 at Chillakallu and Nandigama of Andhra Pradesh limits, and the Paleru river is overflowing on the road at Nayakinigudem on the way from Suryapet to Khammam,” read a press release.
Singh said as part of security measures, vehicles were stopped on these routes — heading to Vijayawada through Suryapeta. A bridge near Garikapadu in Jaggayyapeta mandal, located on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border, on the national highway was washed away.
CM NAIDU TOURS FLOOD-AFFECTED AREAS IN VIJAYAWADA
Andhra Pradesh has reported nine rain-related deaths and one missing case since August 31. Vijayawada district remains the worst-affected with Budameru, a rivulet on the outskirts of the district, overflowing at several points.
This led to flooding in many city localities such as Ajit Singh Nagar, Swathi Theatre area, Police Nagar area and west and central constituencies. At Rajarajeswari Peta, people were seen wading through chest-deep water on a flooded street. The city also suffered more than 12 hours of continuous power cut on Sunday.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu toured several flooded areas in Vijayawada for the third time on Monday. Accompanied by officials in a boat, he also distributed food packets to flood victims.
Naidu said up to 2 lakh cusecs of rainwater entered Budameru, and the state is unable to estimate how much more water is expected to flow in. This water, supposed to be diverted to Kolleru Lake, was turning towards Vijayawada.
On the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, 10.56 lakh cusecs of floodwaters were discharged from Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. Palnadu district administration rescued 50 cattle rearers and 3,501 livestock from the meadows of Krishna river’s riparian villages.
The MeT has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in parts of Andhra Pradesh for four days till September 5. It forecast thunderstorms at isolated places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Monday. Similar weather was predicted from September 3 to 6 over NCAP and Yanam, along with strong surface winds with speeds reaching up to 40 km per hour in parts of the state.
26 NDRF TEAMS DEPLOYED
Officials said 26 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are being deployed for flood relief and rescue operations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. While 12 teams are already deployed in the two neighbouring states, 14 more are being dispatched. They are equipped with inflatable boats, pole and tree cutters and basic medical aid tools.
IMD FORECASTS EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN IN TELANGANA ON SEPTEMBER 2
Telangana revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said despite several precautionary measures, nine persons were killed in rain-related incidents in different parts of the state. Three persons were also feared washed away in Mahabubabad and Khammam districts.
In districts like Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad and Khammam, authorities evacuated residents of several flood-hit villages to safety.
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy held an emergency review meeting, following which he urged offices and businesses to let employees work from home. Hyderabad also witnessed heavy rains leading to waterlogging in many parts of the city.
District collectors have been asked to declare a holiday for educational institutions as per local conditions on Monday. Residents of a locality in Khammam district were stranded on rooftops as large areas remained marooned. Earlier, Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said following the home minister’s orders, nine NDRF teams, three each from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Assam, have been dispatched to Telangana.
The weather department issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rain at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts of Telangana for September 2 as well.
Source: News18/PTI
--Agencies
