At least 25 people have, so far, lost their lives due to fresh floods in Odisha. Floods, triggered by low pressure induced rains, have devastated the cyclone-hit Ganjam and other coastal districts. Over 5 lakh people in more than 2,000 villages have been affected by the floods, while around 1.5 lakh people have been evacuated to safety. All rivers in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Nayagarh districts are in spate.
State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro said, helicopters have been pressed into service in the worst-hit Ganjam district. He said, tie up with the Indian Air Force has been done to move NDRF battalions to different places. Patro also said, thousands of people are trapped in flood waters in Aska, Sorada, Hinjili, Sergarh, Belaguntha, Rangelunda blocks and Gajapati district.
Flood waters have submerged railway tracks at many places.The state government has announced closure of schools and colleges in the coastal districts. It has also asked collectors of all coastal districts to evacuate people from the low-lying areas.
The MeT department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain today in North and South Odisha.
Flood situation continues to be grim in Andhra Pradesh, as several rivers and rivulets especially in Coastal districts are in spate due to heavy inflows. Thousands of villages and residential colonies in urban areas have been marooned. Rail transport has been affected between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states and on several other routes with flood water flowing over rail tracks. Road transport has been badly hit, as roads were washed away at several places especially in Srikakulam, Prakasam, Guntur, Nellore and Nalgonda Districts.
Meanwhile, relief operations are underway. 12 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed at different places. About 68,000 people from low laying areas have been shifted to 135 relief camps. Many places in Nalgonda, Mahaboobnagar, Prakasam, West Godavary and Visakhapatnam recorded rainfall measuring up to 26 centimetres. 20 people have died due to rain related incidents, while about six thousand houses have been damaged.
About 150 irrigation tanks and many roads have been breached, while the traffic on the National highway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada came to a standstill after an irrigation tank in Nalgonda District breached. Crops like paddy, maize, cotton and soybean in about 5 lakh hectare have been inundated.
