Bangalore, October 07: Water levels in flood-devastated Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka continued to recede on Tuesday as the administrations carried out relief and rescue operations on a war-footing while the death toll in the two states due to the unseasonal rains rose to 269.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sanctioned ex-gratia relief of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the deluge. He will make an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
The brunt of the rain fury in Karnataka was borne by Bagalkot district with 33 deaths followed by Bijapur (31), Raichur (30), Gulbarga (21), Kopal (20), Bellary (19), Belgaum (12), Gadag (13), Karwar (11), Davangere (7), Dharwad and Bidar (3 each), Chikballapura (2) and Dakshina Kannada (1).
The B S Yeddyurappa government estimated the loss caused by the rain fury to roads, bridges, culverts, houses, village and infrastructure and standing crops in 25 lakh hectares at about Rs 16,500 crore and mobilised all its resources to provide succour to the flood tormented people.
Around 2.5 lakh houses have either collapsed or been damaged by the torrential rains for a week with as many as 1.8 crore people affected in 1,490 villages where 6.60 lakh people rendered homeless had been sheltered in 1,619 camps.
In Andhra Pradesh, the death toll rose to 63 even as the situation improved and outflows from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects were being reduced gradually.
The highest number of 38 deaths were reported in Kurnool district, followed by 20 in Mahabubnagar district, three in Nalgonda and one each in Krishna and Guntur, Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao said in Hyderabad.
“The impact of reduction in outflows from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar would be visible from tonight onwards below Prakasam barrage,” Rao said.
“From around 11 pm, flow below Prakasam barrage is expected to show a receding trend from the peak level of record 10.9 lakh cusec. Present level is 21.6 feet as against 22 feet observed last night,” he said.
The government, however, stressed the need to keep a vigil along the flood banks during the receding of water as the soil tends to slip.
He said as many as 16,20,398 people were affected by the floods, which damaged 62,286 houses. The search and rescue operation involved 805 army personnel, 439 boats, 1,576 swimmers and 19 helicopters. As many as 5,27,172 people were evacuated to safer places and 3,59,799 people taking shelter in 275 relief camps, Rao said.
A 50-ft breach caused to the embankment of Krishna river at Oleru near Penumudi in Guntur district became a major cause for concern as the flood water gushing through it left more than 25 villages inundated in Repalle and Bhattiprolu mandals.
Meanwhile, President Pratibha Patil called up both Yeddyurappa and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah and inquired about the flood situation in the states and the impact. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee also spoke to them and offered to ferry the flood relief material by trains free of cost.
Earlier, Home Minister P Chidambaram, who visited flood-hit areas of the two states, said the governments may utilise the Calamity Relief Fund immediately and once 75 per cent of CRF is exhausted, they may draw on the National Calamity Contingency Fund.
A 50-ft breach caused to river embankment at Oleru near Penumudi in Guntur district has become a major cause for concern as the flood water gushing through it has left more than 25 villages inundated in Repalle and Bhattiprolu mandals in Andhra Pradesh today.
Repalle town too is likely to get marooned by late night because of the heavy flood, according to state Minister for Law and Technical Education Mopidevi Venkata Ramana.
“The breach started occurring around 1 AM and gradually widened causing widespread inundation. We have requested Reliance Industries Limited to send some of its engineers and men to help fill the breach,” Ramana told agency over phone from Repalle.
-Agencies