Two persons were killed after floods in Krishna river affected about 90 villages and inundated several habitations in Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh, officials said yesterday.
Over 8,000 people were moved to 56 relief camps as water entered the villages on the banks of the swollen river following heavy discharge of flood water from the upstream reservoirs of Krishna basin.
Some habitations in and around Vijayawada and the capital city region of Amaravati were also inundated as the second warning level continued at Prakasam Barrage across Krishna river. Transport links Vijayawada and Amaravati came to a halt as the barrage, which connects them, was closed for traffic following a rise in the water level.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the inflow at Prakasam Barrage yesterday morning was 7,57,005 cusecs while outflow was 8,21,250 cusecs. Officials said the situation was under control as the inflows were coming down.
Over 17,000 people in 34 villages of Krishna and 53 villages of Guntur districts were affected by the floods. Twelve villages in each district were inundated.
Two deaths were reported in separate incidents due to the floods. Members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) yesterday recovered the body of a 11-year-old girl who went missing on Friday after a boat overturned in Lakshmaiah Vagu, a stream that joins Krishna river at Chevitikallu village. The details of the second flood victim are awaited.
Over 230 personnel of NDRF, state fire services department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were carrying out rescue and relief operations in the affected villages. More than 15 boats were deployed for the operations.
Officials said that 8,100 people were evacuated and shifted to 41 relief camps in Krishna district while 3,453 people were shifted to 15 relief camps in Guntur district.
According to SDMA, 160 houses were damaged while 4,352 houses were marooned.
According to a preliminary report, crops in over 5,511 hectares and horticulture crops in over 2,052 hectares were affected by the floods.
Authorities asked former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to vacate his house on the banks of Krishna river due to the floods.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and his family had left the house a few days ago. As nobody was available at his house, officials put up a notice on its entrance asking them to vacate.
On Friday, Naidu alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched against him after a drone was seen hovering over his house. TDP workers staged a protest claiming the drone was taking pictures of their party chief’s house.
Meanwhile in West Bengal, three people were injured and flight and train services disrupted as large parts of Kolkata and other southern districts were flooded following heavy monsoon rains.
Two persons were injured after a mini truck collided with a container on a waterlogged road in Girish Park in North Kolkata, while a security staff was wounded when the ceiling of a warehouse gave way in East Kolkata’s Tangra locality, police said.
According to Kolkata airport authorities, 24 outbound and 14 incoming flights were delayed between 5am and 11.45am due to heavy rains, while one flight was cancelled.
Circular railway services were halted at 10.40am between Princep Ghat and Bagbazar stations as the tracks got inundated.
Vast areas of the eastern metropolis from Ram Mandir and Thanthania in the north to Alipore, Ekbalore, Khidirpur and Behala in the South saw waterlogging.
In the state’s showpiece IT hub of Saltlake sector 5, office goers had a trying time as most of the streets were under knee deep water. Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws fleeced passengers.
In Kolkata’s twin city of Howrah, 20 of the municipal wards were submerged.
In Howrah’s Panchanantala, passengers of a mini bus on Dasnagar-Dharamtala route had a narrow escape when one of the wheels of the vehicle got stuck in an open manhole.
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