Two killed, several villages affected in Andhra floods

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 on Saturday.

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. Transportation between Vijayawada and Amaravati came to a halt as the barrage, which connects them, was closed for traffic following rise in the water level.

According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the inflow at Prakasam Barrage on Saturday 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 district were affected by the floods. Twelve villages in each district were inundated.

Two deaths were reported in separate incidents due to the floods. The personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday 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 is awaited.

Over 230 personnel of NDRF, state fire services department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were engaged in 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 preliminary report, crops in over 5,511 hectares and horticulture crops in over 2,052 hectares were affected by the floods.

Meanwhile, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas. He made the survey while flying in a helicopter from Vijayawada to Kakinada to attend the convocation ceremony of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU).