Many stranded as Nellore rain toll climbs to 18

The active Northeast Monsoon continued to bring rains over Rayalaseema on Thursday and inundated Nellore with flood waters causing tremendous misery to residents.

The situation, however, relented over Chitoor and Kadapa. The death toll in the rain-hit district touched 18, even as the authorities set up 150 relief centres in various parts of Nellore to help the homeless.

Despite that, 6000 families are stranded in 46 villages and hundreds of housing colonies in Nellore that are completely submerged.

NDRF rescue teams are working to help the distressed people crying for help from their rooftops using inflatable safety boats and vests.

Krishnapatnam port authorities have lent their helicopters to drop food packets to those marooned in the floods.

Repair and restoration of National Highway 5 near Manubolu are still on with intermittent rains lashing the area. “We are doing all we can to restore the road since it is of national important,” said Andhra Pradesh transport minister Sidda Raghava Rao.

“Since the materials are falling short in Nellore, we are trying to procure it from the neighbouring districts,” he added.  South-Central Railway has declared rail tracks passing through Nellore have been completely restored.

Nellore district on Thursday recorded overall rainfall of 12 cms, while other places in the district that received heavy rains included Atmakur (8 cm), Rapur (6 cm), Gudur (5), Udayagiri and Venkatagiri.