VISAKHAPATNAM/VIJAYAWADA: Incessant rainfall disrupted normal life in the districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
Road connectivity to interior villages was hit as several bridges were washed away.
Heavy landslides were reported in Chatrapalli village of Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Sunday night. One person died and three others were injured.
Following the incident, villagers released a video urging authorities to intervene. Emphasising the lack of a communication network, the villagers urged authorities to visit their village and initiate rescue operations.
Confirming the incident, ASR District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar said the deceased has been identified as 20-year-old Korra Kumari. An ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh has been announced for the bereaved family as per norms of the National Disaster Management Authority.
The injured individuals, Korra Pandanna (60), Korra Sumitra (18), and Korra Subbarao (25), are under treatment at Saparla Primary Health Centre. Their health condition is reported to be stable.
According to reports, the ASR district received 81.53 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on September 9.
Utilise drones to assess flood situation: Naidu
During a teleconference with officials on Monday, he instructed them to report any damage to roads and bridges immediately. Police and revenue staff were ordered to be stationed at damaged banks and streams. Field-level officers were instructed to regularly report on causeways and culverts.
He noted traffic disruptions at nine locations in Paderu and seven in Rampachodavaram divisions. Agriculture officials were asked to identify crop loss.
Further, the Collector extended the ban on vehicle movement on the five ghat roads in the district. However, essential and emergency service vehicles are permitted. Officials concerned have been directed to expedite road restoration efforts and complete them within 24 hours.
Advising residents of low-lying villages to be cautious as seven gates of the Jolaput Dam have been opened, Kumar said, “In the Chintoor division, water level in the Sabari River has risen to 38 feet. Hence, affected villagers are being relocated to safer areas. Rampachodavaram division faces high water flow with possible tree uprooting necessitating evacuations. Paderu division requires inspection of damaged buildings and structures to prevent accidents.”
Plug breaches to Yeleru canal on war footing: Officials told
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also held a teleconference with Collectors of North Andhra and Godavari districts. He directed the officials to be on high alert, given the flash floods and landslides in Agency regions.
He also asked them to utilise drones for assessing the flood situation of canals and the stability of bunds.
Officials were told to alert people through SMS by coordinating with central control teams. Noting the increasing flood in Yerra Kaluva, he advised the officials to use drones to identify breach points and strengthen them.
Kakinada district Collector informed him that two breaches to Yeleru canal were identified. The Chief Minister directed them to plug those breaches on a war-footing.
Kakinada Collector instructed the irrigation department officials to balance the inflows and outflows.