Torrential rain lashed Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, leading to the death of several people in rain-related incidents. The downpour inundated several areas, disrupting road and railway traffic.
In both states, rivers have swelled up and national and state disaster response forces evacuated thousands of people to relief camps.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that more rains are likely in several districts of the two states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy, assuring them of all possible help from the central government.
Telangana revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said nine people have died in rain-linked incidents across the state. In Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad and Khammam, the local administrations evacuated residents of several flood-hit villages to safety.
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy held an emergency review meeting on Sunday. Hyderabad, meanwhile, also witnessed heavy rain, leading to waterlogging in many parts of the city. The administration has shut all schools in the district on September 2. In Khammam, several people were stranded on rooftops due to waterlogging.
In Telangana, the situation might worsen in some districts. The weather department on Sunday issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rain at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts of Telangana till 8.30 am of September 2.
Several places in Andhra Pradesh are also expected to receive rainfall, including heavy rainfall in some places. Parts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kakinada and Nandyala districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall, said an official release.
Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu said Vijayawada and Guntur cities had been completely marooned. “Due to the heavy rain, Vijayawada and Guntur cities have been completely marooned.
Vijayawada-Guntur national highway at Kaza and Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway at Jaggaiahpet were marooned,” he said. Jaggaiahpet received 26 cm rainfall in 24 hours while 14 mandals registered over 20 cm rainfall, he added.
According to the CM, flood water, which was supposed to be diverted to Kolleru Lake, was turning towards Vijayawada. “We are making reinforcements downstream of Prakasam Barrage with sandbags and other means and alerted the district collectors,” said Naidu.
He said 17000 people were evacuated to 107 relief camps. He added that 1.1 lakh hectares of agricultural fields and 7,360 hectares of horticultural fields were damaged.
The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway (SCR) zone, which also includes the Vijayawada Division, cancelled 140 trains and diverted 97 more on Sunday, reported PTI.
The Central government has deployed 26 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams for flood relief and rescue operations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. While 12 teams are already deployed in the two neighbouring states, 14 more are being dispatched.