Rains cut off 400 hamlets in AP

With incessant rains lashing out parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, normal life was affected and several low-lying areas were inundated with floods.

With the weather department forecasting rains for three more days, the state governments have been bracing up to face eventualities. The fishermen in the coastal region were advised not to venture into the sea and a stage 3 warning has been displayed in most of the ports. River Godavari in spate has cut off 400 hamlets from the rest of the world in East and West Godavari districts.

Connection to the hamlets under Devipatnam and P Gannavaram blocks in East Godavari and Polavaram and Edduvagu in West Godavari was cut off because of the floods. The state government has directed the revenue officials to distribute rice, kerosene and other essential cooking items to the affected public.

The irrigation department said that the Dowlaiswaram barrage is at 11.2 ft with 9.34 lakh cusecs inflow and 9.27 lakh cusecs outflow. First danger signal might be given by Saturday night.

Gautami, Vainateya and Vasistha streams are in spate and all 175 gates of Dowlaiswaram barrage are open.

Copious inflows in Telangana

Meanwhile, in Telangana, rivers and dams and all the major irrigation projects including the Kaleswaram project except Singur are receiving huge inflows. All the tanks at barrages and pump houses are full. Medigedda and Annaram gates were kept open in Bhupalpally district. First danger signal was hoisted in the Godavari at Bhadhrachalam, where the water level reached 43 feet.

In Hyderabad, Mayor Bontu Rammohan visited the low-lying Khairatabad and Balkampet areas and reviewed the situation. He said that 150 monsoon emergency teams have been formed and the state and national disaster response teams are on standby.