HYDERABAD: As many as 15 helicopters and about 600 army personnel have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh for rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas.
The choppers, which will fly from Bangalore, Tirupati and Vijayawada, will also drop food and drinking water packets in the badly affected districts of Kurnool and Mahabubnagar where thousands of people are marooned for the last two days. The authorities have kept 200,000 food and water packets ready for air dropping.
Commissioner, disaster management, Dinesh Kumar told reporters Saturday that 250 army personnel in Kurnool district, 170 in Mahabubnagar and 150 in Krishna district have taken up rescue and relief work.
Disaster Management Response Force personnel are also rushing to the flood-hit areas from Tamil Nadu, Pune and Bhubaneswar.
Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy said army personnel had reached Kurnool with 48 mechanised boats. Kurnool town and dozens of surrounding villages are facing threat of complete submergence due to floods in the Krishna river.
The minister said 15 mechanised boats were pressed into service in Mahabubnagar district.