230 dead in floods in South India: Centre intensifies rescue operations

Heavy rain and rampaging flood have wreaked havoc in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra claiming 230 lives and displacing lakhs in the past one week. Karnataka accounted for 168 fatalities, Andhra Pradesh 37 and Maharashtra 25 as heavy downpour ravaged the three states flattening over two lakh homes, extensively damaging crops and uprooting lakhs of people. Relief operations continued on a war-footing to provide succor to the marooned in the three states. Centre has rushed another contingent of trained personnel and motorised boats to intensify rescue operations in parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Senior Home ministry officials are in constant touch with state authorities and other agencies and the situation is being monitored on round-the-clock basis.

After battering 15 districts in Karnataka, rain showed signs of let up in the state yesterday. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa urged the Centre to declare the worst flooding in the state as a national disaster. He sought 10,000 crore rupees assistance for relief measures and rebuilding the 15 rain-ravaged districts.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah conducted an aerial survey of the flood-devastated areas and said the situation is alarming in Krishna and Guntur districts where many villages faced inundation. The flood situation in Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts was however under control, as army troops rescued the stranded persons from rooftops of submerged houses.

IAF choppers dropped food packets and water sachets in the affected areas. Officials say over 13 lakh people spread over five district have been affected in the state due to the worst flooding in more than 100 years in the Krishna river basin.

A high alert has been sounded in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district where 32 villages have been submerged and 64 others face inundation. The officials said efforts are on to evacuate people to safer areas.They said the monsoon fury had so far claimed 16 lives in Mahabubnagar, 15 in Kurnool, three in Krishna, two in Nalgonda and one in Guntur.

Torrential rains in the past three days claimed 25 lives in Maharashtra. Chief Secretary Johny Joseph said in Mumbai that the state government announced compensation of one lakh rupees to each bereaved family. He said, crops in 48,000 hectare area have been washed away.

The UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi and the Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram will undertake an aerial survey of flood-ravaged areas in Bellary district of Karnataka today. Superintendent of Police of Bellary district Seemanth Kumar Singh said, Union ministers M Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge will be accompanying them.