Rain Havoc in AP.CM seeks Centres Help

Hyderabad|India|October'2009: The Chief Minister K Rosaiah telephoned to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony to seek help for relief and rehabilitation works. The Prime Minister assured all help from the Government of India for rescue and rehabilitation works. The Defence Minister asked the Defence Secretary to coordinate the relief works in Andhra Pradesh.

Smt. Sonia Gandhi immediately contacted Mr Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra and asked him to help Andhra Pradesh in rescue and relief operations. She also asked all the Congress Party workers to help assist the State Government at this need of hour. Mr Rosaiah thanked Sonia for her concern and timely response.

The Chief Minister assured the people that the Government will strive every nerve to save each and every one of them. All measures are being initiated on a mission-mode. All officers working day and night to rescue the people.


The Chief Minister will be awake in the Secretariat in the whole night along with his staff. A Central Control room will be working at Chief Secretary’s office and all the Secretaries concerned will be available whole night at the Secretariat.


Meanwhile army and navy have been alerted. More rescue teams and helicopters will be deployed from tomorrow early morning.


Three to four lakh food packets are getting ready by Nandi Foundation, TTD and other agencies and will be dropped for the marooned people. Drinking water, Milk and baby food also will be distributed.


The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister the latest situation in the State. He told the Prime Minister that it is the first time in the history of Andhra Pradesh that so much of flood water has been gushing into and out of Srisailam dam. He told the Prime Minister and other Central leaders that the situation is grim. He said that the State Government machinery is working on a war footing to save the thousands of marooned people.


The Chief Minister said that the flood situation in three districts, viz., Mahabubnagar, Kurnool and Krishna is grim. The water level in Kurnool town may increase by about 4 ft. by mid night (2.10.2009). The water level in Srisailam project may be increased by 8 ft. over present level of 884.4 ft. by 12 noon of 3.10.2009. He said all gates of Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar opened and discharging at full possible capacities. Release of Nagarjunsagar Project water would increase from about 6.5 lakh cusecs now to about 8 lakh cusecs by mid-night today (2.10.2009).


At Vijayawada Prakasham Barrage the water outflow would be 5-6 lakhs cusecs by 6.00 am on 3.10.2009 and 8 lakh cusecs at 12.00 midnight on 3.10.2009. About 25,000 people stranded in the flood water in the Kurnool town at present. The figure may increase by midnight today. Several villages are marooned in Kurnool town and Mahaboobnagar districts due to increase of Srisailam back waters.


The Chief Minister said that the government machinery has been fully geared-up to save human lives and to take up relief and rehabilitation operations. About 35 camps in 35 places are identified to rehabilitate about 65,000 people of Kurnool town and surrounding villages. In Vijayawada city and surrounding villages also about one lakh people are being evacuated to safer places.


The services of Army, Navy, APSP, National Disaster Response Force with Helicopters, power boards, inflatable boats pressed in to rescue operations. The Karnataka Government is also contacted for immediate assistant of Helicopters from Yelahanka air strip. Efforts are being made to air drop Food and Drinking water packets to the flood victims.


Revenue and Relief Minister D.Prasada Rao, Information Minister Geetha Reddy, Member, National Disaster Management Authority, M.Sasidhar Reddy, Chief Secretary P.Ramakantha Reddy, Principal Secretary, Rural Development, K.Raju and other senior officials attended the meeting.