Communication between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was cut off on Sunday, as many rivers and streams were overflowing on the main road.
Many trains were cancelled or diverted and traffic was suspended on the National Highways between Vijayawada-Hyderabad, Vijayawada-Khammam and Eluru-Vijayawada.
Police arranged pickets on the National Highways as many rivulets were overflowing on the main roads. Officials asked people not to plan journeys in view of the heavy rains and floods.
Heavy rush was seen at Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS), Vijayawada railway station, Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Ramavarappadu and other stations, as the officials cancelled many services.
“Traffic on National Highway-65 has been suspended (between Vijayawada and Hyderabad) as flood water is flowing on the highway at Itavaram village. Public are requested not to cross the overflowing streams and rivulets,” said NTR Police Commissioner S.V. Rajasekhar Babu.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 10th Battalion and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed in the flood-hit areas.
Speaking to The Hindu, NDRF Commandant V.V.N. Prasanna Kumar said that four teams were deployed at Singhnagar in Vijayawada and, one team each was positioned in Bapatla, Eluru and Khammam.
“We requisitioned three teams each from the NDRF 3rd Battalion, located at Mundli in Odisha, and 4th Battalion, located at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, to take up the rescue and rehabilitation operations in A.P.,” Mr. Prasanna Kumar said.
50 workers rescued
The 6th Battalion APSDRF personnel rescued 50 workers trapped in the Nucon Blocks factory at Paritala village in Kanchikacherla mandal in NTR district on Sunday.
The SDRF officials rescued 300 people trapped in floods at Shantinagar in Ibrahimpatnam in NTR district. The force rescued 588 persons in six rescue operations, said Reserve Inspector Vasudev.