At least five people lost their lives in Andhra Pradesh in rain related incidents, following heavy showers across the state due to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal which crossed the Andhra coast near Kakinada on Tuesday morning. In Visakhapatnam district, two persons died in Munagada mandal's Ganapathi Nagar when a retaining wall collapsed and another person drowned in Varaha river in Cheedikada mandal.In Bommuru village, falling under Rajahmundry rural limits, one person died when a wall collapsed.
In Vijayawada city, one person died in a landslide near Vidyadharapuram four pillars centre. The landslide also damaged a house located on a hill. On Monday, four mandals in East Godavari and one mandal in West Godavari district received more than 200 mm rainfall. Earlier, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted thunderstorms along coastal regions in the state.
In East Godavari, Injaram village in Tallarevu registered 243 mm rainfall, followed by Chelluru village (228 mm) in Rayavaram mandal, Municipal high school in Kothuru (207 mm) in Ramachandrapuram and Mummidivaram (205.5 mm) also witnessed heavy rainfall. Akiveedu near Bhimavaram in West Godavari logged 203 mm rainfall. Authorities said that 129 mandals witnessed very heavy rainfall, ranging between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm.
They included eight in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram (4), Visakhapatnam (26), East Godavari (31), West Godavari (35), Krishna (18), Guntur (1), Prakasam (1), Chittoor (1), Kadapa (2) and Anantapur (2). Likewise, 146 mandals received heavy rainfall, while 278 witnessed moderate rainfall and 75 witnessed light rain.
Meanwhile, three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been kept ready under the Visakhapatnam Collector. In Visakhapatnam district, 350 houses were flooded as the rains affected 40 villages. As many as 800 families were evacuated from Harijana Jaggayapalem in Gajuwaka mandal. Seven relief camps have been opened, including four in Narsipatnam mandal and one in Gajuwaka.
The authorities distributed 2,700 food packets to affected people, including 3,000 water sachets and bottles. Aimed at preventing the outbreak of any epidemic, 17 medical teams have been formed. In East Godavari district, 11 villages were affected, forcing the evacuation of 978 people. The government has set up three relief camps, one each in Kakinada urban and rural and Tallarevu. As many as 4,100 packets of food and 6,500 water sachets were distributed to the affected people. In the district, 17 kutcha houses and 60 hectares of crops suffered damage.
The heavy rains and water inflows breached the Yeleru canal bund up to 1 km while another canal also suffered damage. The government has instructed District Collectors to operate control rooms round the clock.
It also directed them to maintain adequate stocks of medicines, keep generators on standby in the event of power breakdown and send daily situations and damage reports.
As on Wednesday morning a first warning is undere place at Prakasam barrage on Krishna river. 5.69 lakhs cusecs of inflow and outflow are maintained.
In a statement, State Disaster Management Department Commissioner, K Kannababu has cautioned the residents of villages along the rivers in the state.