Army, Navy and Airforce are working round the clock to rescue the people trapped in the floods and rain in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The death toll has reached 118 in the delayed Monsoon in the southern states.<br/> <br/> Around 700 troops along with eight medical teams have been deployed by the army to carry out relief and rescue operations in flood-affected districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.<br/> <br/>The Indian Air Force is also carrying out relief operations in the affected areas. Ten helicopters were pressed into action evacuating people and dropping relief material, mainly food packets. Navy also rushed several rescue teams to flood ravaged areas in Karnataka. <br/><br/>The grim situation continues with North Karnataka and Bijapur, Raichur, Bellari, Bagalkote and Koppal districts, being the worst affected. Major rivers in North Karnataka and Hyderbaad-Andhra border continue to overflow and more than 200 villages were marooned, hundreds of cattle killed and as many as fifty thousand houses collapsed.<br/> <br/>The Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa toured the flood affected districts today. He said 150 crore rupees have been released for relief measures in the flood affected districts.<br/><br/>The Andhra Pradesh Cheif Minister K. Rossaiah has reviewed the flood situation at a high level meeting with state ministers and officials in Hyderabad. He told that flood situation in Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar districts has improved with water levels receding. He said the situation would improve further if inflows from upper reaches reduces.<br/> <br/>The district Administrations of Krishna and Guntur districts have intensified the evacuation and relief operations. In Vijayawada, the administration has set up 12 relief camps and already shifted 40 thousand people from low lying areas.<br/><br/>The Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh has assured Andhra Pradesh of all help from the Centre to cope with the situation arising out of the massive floods in the state. The assurance was given to Chief Minister K Rosaiah who spoke to him over phone last night. Mr.Rosaiah also spoke to Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister A K Antony and sought their help in conducting relief and rescue operations.<br/> <br/>The Chief Minster also spoke to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the flood situation.In Karnataka, rain has stopped in the northern parts of the state, but the situation is still grim for thousands of displaced people . <br/><br/>Over 100 people have died so far in the late monsoon havoc. Bijapur, Belgaum, and Bagalkot districts are the worst affected. Meanwhile, five to six small hills have caved in, in the coastal Karwar district today due to incessant rains . One such hill near Kaduvada has collapsed on several houses, trapping over 20 people. Operations are on to rescue them.But the rescue workers are finding it difficult as access to the area has been cut off. Mangalore-Mumbai National Highway No 17 is blocked heavily because of landslides.<br/>Konkan Railway trains have stopped near Goa as tracks are submerged in water. <br/>In Goa, two buses are trapped in flood waters on the Karnataka border at Kudal, which is about 100 km from Goa. Large parts of the state are lashed with heavy rains for the third day today with people remaining trapped in their houses. <br/><br/>The Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that Canacona area is badly affected, especially the south Goa and Karnataka border. He said around 1500 people and six hundred houses are affected.The Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Mangala Express has been cancelled for today.<br/><br/>Heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Maharashtra's coastal Ratnagiri district for the third day today throwing normal life out of gear.<br/> <br/>South-west monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over the state and Lakshadweep during the next 24 hours. As per the Met department, even if the south-west monsoon season is over it did not withdraw from Kerala coast. Another low pressure off the coast of Andhra Pradesh by sixth of this month is likely to cause widespread rain in Kerala.<br/>
News On AIR | October 3, 2009 1:51 PM
Armed Forces join rescue work in flood ravaged AP, Karanataka