A major breach in the embankment of a Krishna river canal has left low lying areas of a town and many villages in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district inundated even as the toll due to the heavy floods climbed to 269 in the state and in Karnataka on Wednesday.
The lowllying areas in Repalle town and 20 adjoining villages in Guntur district were submerged in water following the breach in right embankment of the canal, irrigation authorities said.
“We cannot say that the problem is over, water is receding and we need to be alert today also,” Rajiv Sharma, Special Officer for Flood Relief works, said in Vijayawada.
“The toll in Andhra Pradesh stands at 63 and water is receding fast.Since the outflow at Prakasam barrage at Vijayawada is now 7.8 lakh cusecs against 10.7 lakh cusecs on Tuesday, there is definite improvement,” Relief Commissioner Dinesh Kumar said.
A number of villages in Ibrahimpatnam, Jaggaiahpet, Chandarlapadu mandals of Krishna district and some localities in Vijayawada city continued to remain in water.
Over 2,500 people have been provided shelter in relief camps in Repalle, said Luv Agarwal, another senior official involved in flood relief.
In Karnataka, the floods triggered by heavy rains due to the receding monsoon have left a trail of destruction with the death toll mounting to 206, officials said in Bangalore.
The Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa sought President Pratibha Patil’s intervention in impressing upon the Centre the need to release funds for the state to tide over the crisis and carry out reconstruction work.
