Kurnool, October 04: After three days of devastation caused by heavy rains and floods, the entire population in the town (about 10 lakh) barring some people in a couple of colonies were evacuated and shifted to safer places, mostly into relief camps set up by the district administration.
Four Army helicopters and 120 boats were pressed into service and by Saturday evening all those who took shelter for the past 48 hours on the terraces of buildings and high-rise apartments were shifted to safe places.
Besides dropping food packets and water sachets to the marooned people in and around the Kurnool town, the Chopper teams identified people taking shelter on the terraces and apartments and alerted rescue teams on boats.
So far, 1.5 lakh food packets and water sachets were air dropped in and around Kurnool, one lakh each in Anantapur and Kadapa districts.
Since there was a threat that heavy inflows may come into Srisailam Reservoir following heavy rains in Karnataka, officials asked the people in the relief camps to stay put till tomorrow evening.
All those resisting to shift to the relief camps were forcibly evacuated by the revenue and police officials. Power supply was stopped in the town and a round-the-clock control room was set up at the Collectorate.
Telephone lines were also disrupted.
Two deaths were so far declared officially. While 60-year-old Basavaraju died of heart attack last night when he saw surging flood waters, Mastan Vali (65) died as he accidentally slipped into an open drainage while he was being evacuated from a building.
Water level in the town has come down by about 50 per cent. It receded by 10 feet in Hundri and Vattivagu.
Ministers N Raghuveera Reddy, Silpa Mohan Reddy and D Manikya Vara Prasad along with district collector MK Meena were supervising the operations.
Several voluntary and Non Governmental organisations took part in the relief and rescue operations actively.
–Agencies–