Rain fury: Andhra Pradesh seeks Rs. 4600 crore package, Chief Minister to meet PM today

Andhra Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today to seek a Rs.6400 crore package after there was widespread damage to crops due to torrential rains in the state.

In a year when farmers in Andhra Pradesh were expecting a bumper crop, nearly 30 cent of the standing crops is estimated to have been damaged in rains that lashed the state last month.

Even as there is a lot of speculation on why Mr Reddy is in Delhi, sources said he is meeting the Prime Minister to seek the Centre's help for the huge losses.

Unseasonal rains in Andhra Pradesh have wreaked more havoc than tropical storm Cyclone Phailin, which pounded the east coast last month, destroying crops over 12 lakh hectares in the state, with cotton and paddy crops being the worst-hit.

"The paddy crop is gone. I was expecting a good crop till rains destroyed everything. It is a huge loss,'' Narasimha, a farmer in Nalgonda district said.

Village head E Kavita says the government has done nothing so far. "They come and enumerate but no farmer has got any help so far,'' she says.

"Initial estimates show a minimum of 50 per cent of area covered by fields may be damaged. The actual figures may vary from district to district but the damage overall appears to be substantial," Madhusudan Rao, Andhra Pradesh's Agriculture Commissioner said.

Over 50 people have died in the state so far, with at least three farmers committing suicide.

Nearly 5200 villages in 16 districts have been affected, with over 42,000 houses damaged and over two lakh people evacuated to relief camps.

More: http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/rain-fury-andhra-pradesh-seeks-rs-4600-crore-package-chief-minister-to-meet-pm-today-443708

Central team in Odisha to assess flood situation

A central team will visit Odisha Monday to assess the damage caused by cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods, as the toll in flood-related incidents rose to 60, an official said here Sunday.

The 12-member inter-ministerial team, led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Rashmi Goel, will be in the state until the end of the month. During their stay they will make an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, a senior official of the office of the state's special relief commissioner said.

The team shall be divided into two groups and will visit the most affected districts like Ganjam, Puri, Balasore and Mayurbhanj, he said.

The severe tropical cyclone Phailin in the Bay of Bengal devastated lives and damaged properties in more than half of Odisha. It made landfall Oct 12 night near Gopalpur in the state's southern Ganjam district, which took the maximum brunt of the cyclone and subsequent floods.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the state was experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding first due to the cyclone and now because of the low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.

"These rains have been continuing since Oct 10 and besides causing heavy damage to public and private property, the loss to the standing crop has been severe," he told reporters here.

Authorities Saturday confirmed seven more deaths in flood-related incidents, taking the toll to 60.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/odisha/central-team-in-odisha-to-assess-flood-situation_886218.html

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha fight flood, 45 killed

Massive floods triggered by incessant rains for nearly a week left at least 45 persons dead in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha till Saturday and forcing authorities to evacuate over two lakh people from the submerged villages in the two states.

Roads are flooded as heavy rains continue to lash Srikakulam and Nalgonda districts in Andhra Pradesh. (PTI photo)

While 29 deaths have been reported from Andhra Pradesh, the death toll in Odisha rose to 16 today.

Official sources said that all the major rivers and their tributaries – swollen by the torrential rains – have overtopped their banks and flood-waters gushed into homes and agricultural fields.

The floods followed just days after the two states were battered by Cyclone Phailin, which had left a trail of death and devastation in its trail.

Over 72,000 evacuated in Andhra

The met department in Andhra Pradesh warned of more downpour in the next 48 hours.

According to an official note, more than 72,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in nine districts. Also, crops spread over 5.64 lakh hectares and 6,597 houses had been damaged.

The government has set up 178 relief camps in nine districts, including 36 in Srikakulam.

Hundreds of villages across Andhra Pradesh remained submerged, while road and rail routes were affected as the rain fury continued on Saturday.

Rain-related incidents like drowning and wall collapse have claimed 29 lives so far. Prakasam district accounted for the maximum deaths at six, followed by Guntur (5), Mahabubnagar (4), Hyderabad, Kurnool (three each), Vizianagaram, East Godavari, Nalgonda and Warangal (2 each), the statement said.

Besides, two persons have been reported missing in Visakhapatnam district.

As many as 3,230 villages in 16 districts were badly affected due to torrential rains and 6,600 houses damaged, disaster management commissioner T Radha said.

Vast stretches of Vijayawada-Hyderabad Highway were submerged in floodwaters, leading to traffic diversion.

Railway tracks at Bommayipalli on the Secunderabad-Guntur section was damaged and repairs were being carried out. All important trains on this route are being diverted via Warangal and Vijayawada, official sources said.

The East Coast Railway cancelled Bhubaneswar-Bengaluru Prasanthi Express and Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Express trains due to heavy rains. The Puri-Tirupati Express and Coromandel Express also stands cancelled, they said.

A dozen teams of National Disaster Response Force are carrying out relief operations in Srikakulam, Guntur, West Godavari, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Mahbubnagar, they added.

Vehicular traffic has been thrown out of gear as 900 km road stretch has been submerged.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today asked district collectors to distribute ex-gratia to the kin of those killed in rain-related incidents and also step up relief operations by supplying essential commodities.

The CM spoke to revenue minister Raghuveera Reddy, who was touring rain-ravaged areas in Bapatla, Guntur district, over phone.


Over 5.32 lakh affected in Odisha

In Odisha too, the situation remained grim even as major rivers were receding today.

Two deaths each were reported from Bhadrak, Jajpur and Nayagarh districts while in worst-hit Ganjam district it remained unchanged at six and four in Jagatsinghpur, special relief commissioner PK Mohapatra told reporters here after the situation was reviewed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

“All the deaths were due to wall collapse and drowning,” Mohapatra said.

Major rivers like Rusikulya, Godahada and Vansadhara were flowing below the danger mark, he said.

The chief minister said that the incessant rains and floods have caused severe damage to public and private property and standing crop.

He also announced three-day relief for the affected people as per provisions under the relief code.

It would be distributed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts, SRC office sources said.

Over 5.32 lakh people in 2,276 villages have been affected by the current wave of floods, while about 1.47 lakh people were evacuated.

Of the 129 villages inundated in Ganjam district by flash flood on Friday, water receded in its 69 villages.

An IMD bulletin said that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over the next 48 hours at one or two places over Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi districts and heavy rainfall at one or two places over north Odisha.

Railway sources said that the Konark Express from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai would resume from the day as water has receded from the tracks.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/andhra-pradesh-and-odisha-fight-flood-45-killed/article1-1140664.aspx

Odisha: 10 people killed, 1.5 lakh others affected due to flash floods

Ten people have been killed and 1.5 lakh others have been affected due to flash floods in Odisha. Around 129 villages were inundated due to the flash floods in Ganjam district of Odisha. The One Day International between India and Australia which is to be held on Saturday in Cuttack is likely to be cancelled. The Odisha government said schools and colleges in all 12 flood affected districts will be closed till Monday. 

Train services from Khurda to Vishakhapatnam have been badly hit. According to the special relief commissioner, the water levels are above the danger mark in rivers in south Odisha. "Following heavy rain for four days, water level in rivers in south Odisha are above danger level and have entered many villages," Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said. The blocks affected in flash flood include Chikiti, Hinjili, Sana Khemundi, Patrapur, Dharakote, Aska, Parlakhemundi, Mohana. Some areas of Gajapati district were also reported to have been affected. Mohapatra said the collectors of all coastal districts have been directed to evacuate people from low-lying areas. 

Two persons have died in wall collapse due to rain in Khallikote and Rangeilunda since yesterday, district emergency officer Mahendra Panda said. About 40,000 marooned people had been evacuated from Patrapur, Sana Khemundi, Chikiti, Digappahandi, Hinjili, Sheragada and Purushottampur in Ganjam, he said. Another 10,000 people were evacuated from Gajapati district, the special relief commissioner's office said. With rivers like Rusikulya, Bansadhara and Ghodahada rising due to non-stop rain for the last four days, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the administration to provide cooked food to the people in relief camps, Mohapatra said. "The flash flood has hampered relief and restoration work in places worst-affected by the cyclone," Revenue and Disaster Management minister SN Patro said. 

Some evacuated people have already been sent to relief camps following cyclone Phailin that struck Gopalpur on October 12, with the state government deploying personnel of NDRF, OFRAF and fire services for evacuation, Patro said. Another 80,000 houses have collapsed in the torrential rain, Mohapatra said, adding that the total number of houses damaged in both cyclone and flood in Ganjam has risen to 3.40 lakh. Meanwhile, the local unit of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) have predicted heavy rain in central and interior districts. A well marked low pressure area now lay over coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas of Telangana and Rayalaseema area, the latest bulletin said. Rain or thundershower would occur at most places over Odisha in next the 24 hours, it added.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/odisha-129-villages-inundated-due-to-flash-floods-in-ganjam/430321-3-234.html?utm_source=ref_article