TORRENTIAL downpour in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh left 31 persons dead, battered roads and rail tracks snapping connectivity, submerged thousands of acres of agricultural crops and left people scampering for daily needs as rescue agencies were pressed into rescue and rehabilitation efforts. The two Telugu speaking States were reeling under the impact of the rains on Monday, as 16 persons were killed in Telangana and 15 others in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which particularly bore the brunt of the rain fury. A portion of gravel under the railway track near Kesamudram in Telangana was washed away due to floodwaters. Nearly 4.5 lakh people were affected in Andhra, even as heart-wrenching scenes of people struggling to ensure essentials, including milk were witnessed in the worst affected Vijayawada. The most affected districts included NTR, Guntur, Krishna, Eluru, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam, said an official press release.

 

Twenty SDRF and 19 NDRF teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. Life was completely thrown out of gear in Vijayawada following torrential downpour over the past three days and with more than 24 hours of power cuts in several parts of the city. Visuals aired on local TV news channels showed a woman lamenting to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that people were stranded for two days in Ajit Singh Nagar in Vijayawada without drinking water. She complained no boat came to their rescue while another man standing in waist deep waters begged Naidu, who was touring the flood-affected areas for the third time on a boat, to understand their predicament. People were seen wading through floodwaters carrying their children on shoulders to safety while an old woman lying on a mattress was seen being shifted over floodwaters by two persons. Some people tried to help themselves through the deluge using a rope. As people waded through the floodwaters, a few of them held on to some basic necessities in their hands and a large queue was formed at one of the flood-affected places to collect milk sachets and food packets.

 

At one such place, a flood victim complained they did not have milk since Sunday morning and alleged no help came their way from the Government. Internet and mobile telephone connectivity were disrupted and long traffic snarls disrupted normal life. Connectivity to Hyderabad was affected. Transportation within Vijayawada city and its vicinity was chaotic. At Prakasam Barrage, 11.3 lakh cusecs of floodwaters were discharged by 8 am on Monday. In Telangana, at least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents and the State Government on Monday put the damage at Rs 5,000 crore citing preliminary estimates. It sought an immediate Central assistance of Rs 2,000 crore. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the affected areas and declare the floods as a national calamity.

 

He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who were killed in the rain-related incidents. The CM held a meeting with ministers and officials at Suryapet as part of his visit to rain-hit areas. Due to incessant rains in the two States, flooding and breaches were reported in Kazipet-Vijayawada section and five trains were stranded. 4 killed as heavy rains lash Marathwada region: HEAVY rains pounded Marathwada region of Maharashtra over the last 24 hours ending at 9 AM on Monday, with Pathri village in Parbhani district recording the highest rainfall of 314 mm, leaving four people dead and affecting normal life in rural areas, officials said. Home Guard jawan dies after being swept away in Gujarat rains, NDRF retrieve body: AMID the heavy rainfall in Gujarat for the past few days, a 34-year old home guard, identified as Devesh died after being swept away in the heavy rains. The body of a home guard soldier was retrieved by the NDRF, officials confirmed.