At Least 20 Dead As Heavy Rains Pound Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; 140 Trains Cancelled | Updates

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were battered by torrential rains for the second consecutive day, resulting in at least 20 fatalities in both the states, large-scale flooding and waterlogging, along with massive disruptions to road and rail traffic.

According to the South Central Railway, a total of six trains were cancelled on Monday (September 2) due to flooding on tracks at multiple locations. On Sunday (September 1), a total of 140 trains were cancelled and 97 diverted. Rivers were in spate and thousands were evacuated by national and state disaster response forces from flooded areas to relief camps.

Heavy rains over two days due to a depression has created a flood-like situation in several districts of both the states, with Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh the worst hit. People were left stranded in several areas of the city as water entered their houses while vehicles stood submerged in the streets.

With a prediction of heavy rains on Monday, all schools remain closed in Hyderabad district while Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy appealed to offices and businesses to allow employees to work from home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of both states, assuring them of all possible help from the Centre.

Road, rail traffic disrupted

The South Central Railway (SCR) zone, which also includes the Vijayawada division, cancelled 140 trains and diverted 97 more on Sunday (September 1). At least 6,000 passengers were provided with breakfast and drinking water at Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Tenali, Vijayawada, Nidubrolu and Bapatla railway stations.

The Chennai-bound Tamil Nadu Express was halted at Rayanapadu railway station and its passengers were provided with packed food items, along with lunch arrangements. The railways arranged for 84 buses from Rayanapaud to Vijayawada and Kondapalli to Vijayawada for stranded passengers, besides setting up emergency control rooms and helplines.

Telangana’s Suryapeta SP Sunpreet Singh advised people heading to Vijayawada and Khammam to postpone their journeys due to the inclement weather. “Due to heavy rains, water is flowing on NH 65 at Chillakallu and Nandigama of Andhra Pradesh limits, and the Paleru river is overflowing on the road at Nayakinigudem on the way from Suryapet to Khammam,” read a press release.

Singh said as part of security measures, vehicles were stopped on these routes — heading to Vijayawada through Suryapeta.

CM Naidu tours flood-affected areas in Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh has reported nine rain-related deaths and one missing case since August 31. The state had reported eight deaths a day before. Vijayawada district remains the worst affected with Budameru, a rivulet on the outskirts of the district, overflowing at several points. This led to flooding in many city localities such as Ajit Singh Nagar, Swathi Theatre area, Police Nagar area and west and central constituencies.

People were stranded as water entered their houses and vehicles stood submerged in these areas and others. At Rajarajeswari Peta in the city, people were seen wading through chest-deep water on a flooded street.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu toured several flooded areas in Vijayawada through Sunday. Several places in Andhra Pradesh are also expected to receive rainfall, including heavy rainfall in some places.

Parts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kakinada and Nandyala districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall, said an official release.

Alerting people living in low-lying areas, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority managing director R Kurmandh said the first level warning has been issued at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada as the Krishna river is in spate, following heavy inflow.

“Due to the heavy rain, Vijayawada and Guntur cities have been completely marooned. Vijayawada-Guntur national highway at Kaza and Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway at Jaggaiahpeta were totally marooned,” Naidu said at a press conference at the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) in Tadepalli.

According to him, Jaggaiahpeta received 26 cm rainfall in 24 hours while 14 mandals registered over 20 cm rainfall. He said 94 more places in 14 districts received rainfall between 7 and 12 cm.

Naidu further said up to 2 lakh cusecs of rainwater entered Budameru, and the state is unable to estimate how much more water is expected to flow in. This water, supposed to be diverted to Kolleru Lake, was turning towards Vijayawada. “We are making reinforcements downstream of Prakasam Barrage with sandbags and other means and alerted the district collectors,” he said on the measures being taken to alleviate rain woes.

He said 17,000 affected people were evacuated to 107 relief camps while over 1.1 lakh hectares of agricultural fields and 7,360 hectares of horticultural fields were damaged. He added that arrangements for food were being made at the rehabilitation centres for the people.

IMD forecasts extremely heavy rain in Telangana on September 2

Telangana revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said despite several precautionary measures, nine persons were killed in rain-related incidents in different parts of the state. Three persons were also feared washed away in Mahabubabad and Khammam districts.

In districts like Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad and Khammam, authorities evacuated residents of several flood-hit villages to safety.

Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy held an emergency review meeting, following which he urged offices and businesses to let employees work from home. Hyderabad also witnessed heavy rains leading to waterlogging in many parts of the city.

District collectors have been asked to declare a holiday for educational institutions as per local conditions on Monday. Residents of a locality in Khammam district were stranded on rooftops as large areas remained marooned. Earlier, Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said following the home minister’s orders, nine NDRF teams, three each from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Assam, have been dispatched to Telangana.

The weather department issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rain at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts of Telangana for September 2 as well.

(With PTI inputs)