Andhra Pradesh floods: Toll rises to 35, several villages on alert after reservoir develops cracks

The toll due to the Andhra Pradesh flood increased to 35 after four bodies were recovered from the Cheyyru village, The New Indian Express reported.

The Chittoor district administration issued an alert for 16 villages after the 500-year-old Rayalacheruvu reservoir developed cracks on Sunday, The Times of India reported.

Senior Officer PS Pradyumna, Chittoor District Collector M Harinarayanan, and Tirupati Superintendent of Police Venkata Appala Naidu visited the reservoir on Sunday. Measures are being taken to avert a disaster.

Naidu said two National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams were deployed for relief and rescue operations in the villages, The New Indian Express reported, “We will take the help of the Indian Air Force, if needed, to evacuate people,” Naidu said.

Meanwhile, thirty women passengers travelling in a bus on Monday narrowly escaped from getting swept away in the flow of water at the Kotturu tank area in Hindupur town, reported The Hindu. The flow steered the bus off the road and one of the wheels in the front was suspended in the air, but the passengers were rescued with the help of locals.

A bridge on the Papagni river connecting Kamalapuram and Valluru towns in the Kadapa district had collapsed on Sunday. No person was injured, the police said.

The flooding of the Penna river damaged the highways and railway tracks in the Nellore district, The New Indian Express reported.

The East Central Railway on Monday cancelled three trains due to heavy rains and subsequent waterlogging at the bridge in the Padugupadu-Nellore section, reported ANI.

The South Central Railway cancelled or diverted several express trains connecting south and west India. Vehicles stranded on Chennai-Kolkata national highway due to the rain were diverted to other routes.

In the Nellore district, which is still witnessing rain, 4,257 people have been shifted to 92 relief camps so far as the Penna river has flooded 30 villages.

Till Sunday, 1,366 villages and four towns have been affected in Andhra Pradesh due to the heavy rain over the weekend, the Hindustan Times reported, citing the State Disaster Management Authority.

The state government said that 2,007 houses were damaged and 1,137 houses were submerged.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked officials to desilt the drains across towns to prevent an outbreak of viral fevers, The Hindu reported. “More importantly, the enumeration of crop damages should be completed and compensation paid to the farmers on a war-footing,” he added.

Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai visited some of the flood-affected areas, including villages in Hoskote town, close to Bengaluru on Monday, according to The Hindu.

Several parts of Bengaluru were inundated after torrential rain for over two hours on Sunday night, reported NDTV. North Bengaluru particularly reported waterlogging in many areas.

The Allalasandra Lake in Yelahanka area overflowed and inundated its surrounding areas.

According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Bagalur recorded 74mm of rain till 11.15 pm while Kannuru in Bengaluru East received 125 mm of downpour.

Here are some visuals that Bengaluru residents shared on Twitter:

Yellow alert for Tamil Nadu

Northern Chennai’s Manali area was flooded after heavy rain on Sunday night. Boats were deployed in some areas of northern Chennai too, according to NDTV.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for several districts for Monday and Tuesday, according to The News Minute. A yellow alert indicates heavy rainfall.

For Monday, the weather department has said that districts Coimbatore, Erode, Krishnagiri, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Karuru, Trichy are likely to receive heavy rain.

For Tuesday, an alert has been issued for Pudukottai and the delta districts.

Coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal are likely to get very heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange warning.