Army, NDRF join rescue operations in flood-hit Kakinada district

Visakhapatnam, Sep 10 : Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the rescue and relief operations in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday while heavy rains in the north coastal region inundated villages and damaged crops over thousands of acres.

The Indian Army relief column, which was deployed in flood-hit Vijayawada for the last few days, has moved to Kakinada.

Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also moved from Vijayawada to Kakinada.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were also being deployed in Kakinada and other inundated parts of north coastal Andhra.

Eight mandals (administrative divisions) in Kakinada districts were flooded due to heavy rains over the last two days. Breach to the Eluru canal near Rajupalem village after the opening of the gates of Yeleswaram reservoir caused the flooding.

Agriculture crops over thousands of acres in Kakinada district were damaged. Agriculture fields in Yeleswaram, Kirlampudi, Peddapuram, Gollaprolu and Pithapuram mandals were inundated.

Farmlands on both sides of Gollaprulu-Pithapuram national highway were submerged. SC Peta in Rajupalem of Kirlampudi Mandal also remained inundated.

The flood level slightly receded in Yeleswaram reservoir on Tuesday. The water storage in the reservoir was 23 TMC against its full capacity of 24.11 TMC. The inflow in the reservoir was 30,000 cusecs while the outflow was 22,000 cusecs.

In the East Godavari district, several villages were inundated due to a breach of a canal in Srinrangapatnam. Water entered the houses, damaging household belongings. Affected people fear that the situation may get worse if the flow increases from upstream.

Meanwhile, the overflowing Eluru canal has damaged the Anakapalli-Visakhapatnam highway, disrupting the traffic.

The Met Office predicted heavy rains in north coastal Andhra on Tuesday under the impact of a deep depression which crossed the coast near Puri in neighbouring Odisha.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who has been camping in flood-hit Vijayawada for the last 10 days to monitor relief operations, reviewed the situation in north coastal Andhra. He has given responsibilities of each district to the ministers concerned and asked them to continuously monitor the situation and keep him informed.