More than 17 dead and hundreds missing in the floods in Southern Andhra Pradesh

The persistent rain in Southern Andhra Pradesh, over the past two days, has made life very difficult for the people. The Rayalaseema districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool have been suffering from floods and the situation is very dire. More than 17 people are dead and hundreds are feared missing in these floods in Andhra Pradesh. All rivers in the region, such as Penna, Chitravathi, Vedavathi and Palar, are overflowing and well past the danger-mark. There is no respite in sight for what the people of Southern Andhra Pradesh are going through. 

While flights and trains scheduled for this region have been diverted, it was too late for 3 APSRTC buses that got stuck in the floods in Kadapa District on Friday and at least 12 lives were lost. The Indian Air Force swung into action and came to the people’s aid, with their helicopter rescuing 10 people stranded in the Anantapur District. NDRF and SDRF personnel have also been working tirelessly in rescue and relief operations in the affected region. Holidays have been declared for all educational institutions in the region till the situation improves, while the State Government has appointed three officers to monitor rescue and relief operations in Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa Districts. 

These rains were triggered by a low pressure system that came from the Bay of Bengal earlier this week. Coupled with the low pressure system which had come two weeks earlier, it caused floods over the entire region, along with parts of Northern Tamil Nadu. According to Andhra Pradesh Weatherman, Sai Praneeth, Rayalaseema has been facing this problem for the last two years where it has received excess rainfall from the monsoons. The situation can improve only once the monsoon exits Andhra Pradesh and moves towards Sri Lanka, which is expected to take place in mid-December.  

On Saturday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, took an aerial survey of the affected areas in Andhra Pradesh, during which he was briefed on how many are dead and how much property has been damaged from the floods. Meanwhile, as predicted, cold weather has set in the Visakhapatnam District. 

Anyone stuck in the floods in AP can contact the state flood helpline +91-8645246600 and ask for rescue.