Ten killed as rain batters AP

More than 100 villages cut off in Coastal Andhra and Telangana regions

July 13, 2013 02:59 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 11:11 am IST - HYDERABAD

The market yard in kurnool inundated due to heavy rain on Friday. Photo: U. Subramanyam

The market yard in kurnool inundated due to heavy rain on Friday. Photo: U. Subramanyam

Ten persons died — either washed away or in wall collapses — as heavy rains battered Coastal Andhra and Telangana regions of the State. Till late on Friday evening, Government confirmed only six deaths.

The casualties include two who were washed away as they were crossing the swollen Sokileru Vagu (rivulet) in Khammam district, four in Karimnagar, two in Visakhapatnam and one each in house collapses reported from Adilabad and the State capital.

More than a 100 villages were cut off as rains continued to batter Coastal Andhra and Telangana regions for the fourth consecutive day on Friday despite the well-marked low pressure area moving away to Madhya Pradesh after weakening. A weather official said the system was likely to fizzle out on Saturday. Torrential rains that lashed most places intermittently in these regions caused flash floods in rivulets and streams and turned residential areas and roads into cesspools.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy telephonically reviewed the situation from New Delhi and instructed Chief Secretary P. K. Mohanty to continue the high alert sounded in the State.

Khammam, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Krishna and Visakhapatnam districts faced the brunt and at least 50 habitations were cut off in Vara Ramachandrapuram and Chintur mandals of Khammam district, where Taliperu and Cheekuvagu were in spate. Scores of other villages suffered similarly in Adilabad following flash floods in Krishnepalli and Kukuda streams, while some villages were inaccessible as a temporary bridge at Gorrapalli collapsed.

Kaikalur, Ramannapet, Medak and Chennur recorded rainfall of 9 cm each, Tiruvur, Satyavedu and Suryapet (8 cm), Nuzvid, Perur, Mednor and Nalgonda (7 cm), Therlam and Nizamsagar (6 cm). The rainfall received in the past four days pushed up the excess rain in the State thus far, to 22 per cent. Inflows into Sriramsagar swelled to 24,000 cusecs and as the Nizamsagar was almost full, its shutters were opened. The Sunkesula Barrage in Kurnool was also full following heavy releases from Tungabhadra dam. The levels in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam and the Pranahita in Adilabad grew alarmingly and when the Musi swelled in Bibinagar, it cut off Pochampalli.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy announced an ex gratia of Rs.2 lakh to the family of the deceased. He sanctioned houses under the Indira Awas Yojana for the two partially damaged houses in the downpour. The Revenue Minister said that according to the IMD forecast, Telangana would experience heavy rains for another 48 hours. He said 13 districts got excess rains since the onset of South West Monsoon on June 1, and while it was normal in nine districts, Anantapur saw a deficit.

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