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The heaviest floods in over 100 years have affected the Prakasam barrage on the river Krishna threatening several villages downstream even as the toll from heavy rains and rampaging floods in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra climbs to 250
The river Krishna has virtually turned into a sea as a record 10.61 lakh cusecs of floodwaters reached Vijayawada’s Prakasam barrage in Andhra Pradesh. This is the heaviest flooding for more than 106 years; the previous record stands at 10.30 lakh cusecs in 1903, irrigation authorities said in Vijayawada. Heavy rains and floods over the past weeks have caused havoc across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, and so far claimed close to 250 lives. While Karnataka accounted for 178 deaths following the recovery of 10 more bodies in northern and coastal regions of the state, Andhra Pradesh registered 37 deaths and Maharashtra 34. Rescue and relief operations are on full swing in Andhra Pradesh with 10 helicopters, 200 boats, and over 1,200 personnel from the army and National Disaster Management Response Force. Meanwhile, an embattled state government has asked the Centre for immediate assistance of Rs 6,000 crore to cope with the post-flood crisis. Officials in Hyderabad said massive floods in the Krishna have wreaked havoc in Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda districts as huge quantities of water were released from the Nagarjunasagar dam and Prakasam barrage, inundating around 400 villages, including island habitations, and rendering over 4 lakh people homeless. In Nalgonda, only the tip of the famous Lakshminarasimha temple at Mattampalli was visible after water from the Krishna overran it. In Guntur district, the Buddhist centre of Amaravathi was cut off along with around 50 villages. In Krishna district, river water flowed into Budameru, a drain that in turn flooded several areas in Vijayawada. The river also overflowed onto the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway in Kanchikacherla, Ibrahimpatnam and other places. Officials are worried about the safety of the cooling tower at the Vijayawada thermal power station. In Karnataka, the situation has reportedly eased in Gulbarga, Bijapur, Bellary and Raichur districts with water levels in the Krishna, Tungabhadra and other streams and rivulets receding. The flooding has affected all 14 districts of the state’s northern region. Nearly 1.80 lakh people who have been rendered homeless following unprecedented rains in northern Karnataka have been provided shelter in 589 relief camps in various districts. Food packets and medicines were airdropped in several areas. Latest reports from Mumbai say heavy rains during the past five days have claimed 34 lives in Maharashtra. Source: The Hindu, October 6, 2009
The New Indian Express, October 6, 2009
Press Trust of India, October 6, 2009
ANI, October 6, 2009
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