As heavy rains lashed Andhra Pradesh, 15 people have lost their lives in two districts – 11 people in Kadapa district and 4 in Chittoor district – and a total of 1,544 houses have been damaged. At least 18 people are missing as well, the Andhra Pradesh government said in a press statement on Saturday, November 20.The districts of Nellore, Anantapur, Chittoor and Kadapa have been receiving heavy rainfall over the past two days. The rainfall has affected a total of 168 mandals, and has impacted 1109 villages, the government statement further said. Due to the rains, a total of 1,544 houses have been damaged and the loss is estimated at Rs 499.48 lakh. Kadapa district, in particular, has been severely affected, and a total of 394 houses have been inundated, according to the statement.
A total of 2,391 cattle and 1,232 poultry have been killed due to the rains. This loss is estimated at Rs 242.71 lakhs. A total of 1,51,047.78 hectares of crops –11,890.78 hectares in Nellore, 4,895 hectares in Chittoor, 1,26,167 hectares in Kadapa, and 8,095 hectares in Anantapur – have been destroyed due to the rains. Similarly, 18,026.75 hectares of horticulture crops – 101.9 hectares in Nellore, 16,293.85 hectares in Kadapa, 1,631 hectares in Anantapur – have been damaged.
Authorities have set up 230 relief camps in the districts that have borne the brunt of the rains and seen flooding – 106 in Chittoor, 32 in Nellore, 90 in Kadapa, and two in Anantapur. A total of 22,593 people – 8181 in Chittoor, 7143 in Nellore, 7094 in Kadapa, and 175 in Anantapur – have been evacuated, officials said.
Dramatic rescue by chopper of four JCB personnel & driver, 2 firemen, 3 villagers in #Anantpur district #AndhraPradesh even as huge crowds watched #RescueAction live & cheered; but #DisasterTourism in such big numbers by the #FloodWaters could also be a big risk? @ndtv @ndtvindia pic.twitter.com/BcMeg6lF07
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) November 20, 2021
Officials further added that a helicopter each has been stationed in Anantapur and Kadapa, to carry out rescue operations. Further, 16 National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed to the rain-affected districts.
Meanwhile, 66 persons who were stranded due to the rains were saved in rescue operations. On Saturday, Singarayakonda mandal in Prakasam district recorded the highest rainfall at 101 mm rainfall, followed by Chirala in the same district at 95.8 mm. Bapatla in Guntur recorded 95 mm, Mamidikuduru in East Godavari recorded 78.3 mm, and Allavaram in East Godavari recorded the lowest rainfall in the region at 57.8 mm.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) observed that moderate to heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Saturday. “The well-marked low-pressure area over south interior Karnataka and adjoining north Interior Tamilnadu and Rayalaseema weakened into a low-pressure area over the same region,” IMD said.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also did an aerial survey of the affected areas on Saturday.