Andhra faces rain fury

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy held a high-level meeting here to review the situation and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of those killed. He released Rs 5.6 crore to the affected districts to take up immediate relief measures.

Control rooms have been set up at district and mandal levels and collectors have been asked to take necessary steps to avoid breach of irrigation tanks, Rao said, adding, detailed enumeration of losses to crops and public property are being carried out.

The weather office has forecast moderate to heavy rain at few places in south coastal belt and Rayalaseema regions and isolated rainfall in Telangana.

Six districts — Kurnool, Anantapur, Karimnagar, Warangal, Guntur and Prakasam — have been receiving heavy rainfall since the past three days. As many as 29 relief camps have been set up to accommodate affected families from vulnerable areas. According to preliminary estimates, 7,350 houses have been marooned and crops in over 16,580 hectares have been damaged in the rains, Rao said.

The water level is rising at major reservoirs in the state including Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, Thungabhadra and Somasila and irrigation officials have been asked to keep a close watch on the inflow, Rao said. The Tungabhadra River at the temple town of Mantralayam in Kurnool district is flowing above the danger level of 312 metres.