The death toll mounted to 46 as torrential rains lashed Andhra Pradesh for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, causing largescale destruction to houses, crops and road and irrigation infrastructure in north coastal and north Telangana (interior) areas.
Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, accompanied by the state Congress chief K Keshav Rao, undertook an aerial survey of the worst-affected Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts during the day and later reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken in the areas with district officials.
Chief Secretary J Harinarayana also held a review meeting at the Secretariat in Hyderabad in the evening.
According to official count, the death toll has risen to 46 by Saturday evening, with 13 fresh deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Most of the casualties occurred due to landslides, wall collapses and drowning.
Another 37 people sustained injuries in wall collapses and other rain-related incidents.
As many as 62,000 people have been evacuated to safer places in the eight worst-affected districts, which included Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari and West Godavari in north coastal Andhra and Khammam, Adilabad and Warangal in interior Telangana region.
Visakhapatnam accounted for a maximum of 12 deaths, followed by Vizianagaram (11), East Godavari and Khammam (five each), Hyderabad, Warangal and Srikakulam (three each) and other districts accounted for 4 deaths.
Air services to Visakhapatnam remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday due to inundation of the airport with flood waters. Train services were also affected with the trains running late in the affected districts.
Communications, roads and power supply infrastructure suffered severe damage. As many as 125 village irrigation tanks breached.
River Godavari flowed above the danger level and some parts of the temple town of Bhadrachalam were inundated in the wake of heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The flood waters were let out into the sea through Dowleshwaram barrage.
The flood inflow into River Krishna from Karnataka, forced authorities to release flood waters from Srisailam dam and downstream Nagarjunasagar dam to Prakasam barrage. The flood water was let out into the sea from this barrage.
Two helicopters have been pressed into service for dropping food packets and water sachets in the marooned villages.
Similarly, 12 motor launches have been deployed to rescue people from the submerged areas.