The unabated rains in several districts of Andhra Pradesh over the past five days have left a trail of destruction, claiming 32 lives and causing a damage of hundreds of crores of rupees to crops and infrastructure.
With a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning for the next 48 hours, officials fear the devastation could only increase.
The number of emergency relief camps went up from 178 to 207 by this evening where 78,745 persons evacuated from low-lying areas are being sheltered.
Crops in 6.78 lakh hectares, including paddy in 3.26 lakh hectares and cotton in 3.09 lakh hectares, were inundated while 1,668 cattle were killed, according to the state Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha.
5,100 km of roads and 1,020 minor irrigation tanks were damaged. In all, 4,040 villages under 472 mandals in 16 districts across the three regions of the state were affected by the floods, Radha said.
As many as 15,000 houses, including 1,628 huts, were damaged rendering thousands of people homeless.
About 580 medical teams have been rushed to affected areas with 508 medical officers and 3,311 para-medical staff to attend to the injured and prevent outbreak of diseases, the Disaster Management Commissioner said.
Twelve teams of National Disaster Response Force have been deployed.
State Chief Secretary P K Mohanty held a video conference with district Collectors and asked them to constantly monitor the situation and step up relief operations.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the Collectors to distribute ex-gratia to the kin of those killed in rain-related incidents in the last three days and ensure supply of essential commodities to displaced people.
