The CM asks officials to start relief camps, and also air-drop food packets, drinking water and medicines wherever necessary.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed Chief Secretary Dr. P K Mohanty and other senior officials to work closely with District Collectors and speed up rescue and relief measures in the flood-hit areas, mainly in East and West Godavari and Khammam districts. The flood situation is apparently severe in these areas.
The Chief Minister has asked officials to start relief camps for the victims, and also air-drop food packets, drinking water and medicines wherever necessary.
Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the weather and the latest flood situation, water levels in various reservoirs, and inflows, with the Chief Secretary and other senior officials at Secretariat this morning.
Earlier, the CM discussed the rescue and relief measures with Revenue Minister Dr. N Raghuveera Reddy and Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, at the camp office.
Five helicopters were operated in Karimnagar district on July 20 for relief and rescue operations. Two helicopters have reached Bhadrachalam, and are making sorties for relief operations. One helicopter is being sent to Rajahmundry today.
In addition to the seven NDRF teams which are already in place in 6 districts, one additional team is being sent to Narasapur in West Godavari.
A total of 10 NDRF teams, consisting of 414 persons and 60 boats and life-saving personnel, are being deployed in Bhadrachalam, East and West Godavari, Adilabad and Karimnagar.
Rice and kerosene will be distributed as per the existing procedure. 20 kgs of rice and 5 litres of kerosene will be distributed to each family who stayed continuously in the relief camps for 3 days and left for home. They will be fed by relief camps for as long as their houses remain submerged.
The average rainfall recorded on July 22 was 10.8 mm, as against 2.2 mm on Sunday. The highest rainfall recorded in Karimnagar was 27.6 mm, and the total rainfall received from 1st June 22 July, 2013, is 306.9 mm, as against the normal rainfall of 237.4 mm (with a deviation of +/- 29%).
The level of the Godavari at Bhadrachalam on July 22 was 50.6 ft, as against 55.8 ft on July 21; the water level at Dowleshwaram was 17.1 feet on July 22, as against 16.8 feet on July 21. The level of the Sabari at Bhadrachalam on July 22 was 24 feet, as against 41 feet on July 21.
12 deaths were reported, as on July 21.
A total of 5,204 houses were damaged, including 826 fully damaged and 1,297 severely damaged houses.
Crop submergence reported is 59,878 Ha in 8 districts. They include cotton (23,245 Ha), soyabean (18,430 Ha), maize (10,353 Ha), paddy (4,606 Ha) and pulses (2,988 Ha). Horticulture crops in 3,153 ha have been submerged.
In all, so far, 240 minor irrigation tanks have been reported damaged or breached, and 3,877 kms of roads have been reported damaged.
The TRANSCO has reported that power has been restored in 480 villages out of 884 villages.
The number of relief camps in operation on Monday was 53, with 8,361 persons, as against 65 with 11,770 persons on Sunday.
Officials said that for the first time in the last five years, the Jurala Project has been receiving good in-flows from Karnataka reservoirs, and that power generation has also been started here.
As per the Met. department's forecast for Andhra Pradesh, heavy to very heavy rain will occur at isolated places in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam East Godavari and West Godavari of coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam of Telangana, during the next 48 hours.
Heavy rain is also expected at isolated places in the remaining districts of Telangana and coastal AP during the same period. (INN)