Widespread damage in Nellore dt.

By Our Staff Reporter

NELLORE, OCT. 18. With heavy rain and huge water discharge from the Somasila reservoir affecting life all over Nellore district during the last three days, Ministers and officials are now busy making estimates of the losses and deaths.

The Housing Minister, Mr. A. Prabhakara Reddy, the Cooperation Minister and District Incharge Minister, Mr. Ch. Ramachandra Rao, and the District Collector, Mr. K. Praveen Kumar, told reporters here on Thursday morning that five deaths had so far been reported and the total initial loss was put at Rs. 50 crores. The names of the dead have been given as S. Audilakshmamma, (25), Balijapalem, Nellore, T. Penchalamma, (40), Maddurupalli, Rapur mandal, M. Venkata Reddy, Chaparapalli, A.S.Pet mandal, T. Venkata Reddy, (50), Eduru, TP Gudur mandal and B. Ramakrishnaiah, (50), Krishnapatnam, Muttukur mandal.

It has been stated that nearly 20 mandals in the district had been worst-affected and a senior official had been appointed with the task of monitoring relief and rehabilitation. An amount of Rs. 1.50 lakhs has been put at the disposal of each MRO towards undertaking relief measures. Though about 132 tanks were supposed to have been initially damaged, the figure could go up to more than 400. Since Gudur town has been marooned from all sides, the R&B Minister, Mr. K. Vijayarama Rao, has been camping in the area supervising necessary repair work. The Co-operation Minister, Mr. Ramachandra Rao, also left for Gudur.

In addition, five executive engineers and 36 divisional engineers of the Irrigation Department have been deputed to the affected mandals for undertaking urgent repair works, along with the required sand bags. Two helicopters--one from Hyderabad and another from Karnataka--have been pressed into service to airdrop more than 10,000 food packets to all affected persons including those in the 20 marooned villages.

At 8 a.m. the water level at the Somasila reservoir was 95 ft., whereas the capacity was 44.159 tmcft, with an inflow of 2.40 lakh tmcft. and outflow of 2.97 lakh tmcft. At 9.30 a.m., the capacity was 43.9 tmcft. and the inflow and outflow was more or less similar at about 2.96 lakh cusecs. All the gates of the Somasila reservoir have been lifted but water from Mylaram reservoir in Cuddapah district has not been released, it was stated. The National Highway has breached at four places out of which one breach was restored, whereas efforts were on to restore the affected railway track near Sullurpet. The Telugu Ganga canal at Jangalapalli in Venkatagiri mandal has reportedly breached, whereas the Somasila had breached at six places on the northern side. Sixteen panchayat raj tanks were stated to have been damaged.

Mr. Prabhakara Reddy informed that all the affected persons would be provided with rice by this evening and the traffic on the highway would also be restored by evening. He hoped that within the next three days things would become normal in all the affected places. To save people in marooned areas, boats had been engaged. The Collector informed that in the entire district, more than 68 camps had been opened to provide shelter to about 18,700 persons and more than 43,800 food packets were distributed. The final estimate of damages was going on. A senior IAS official, Mr. B.P. Acharya, who has been appointed as Special Officer, Gudur, has already reached the place.

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Section  : Southern States
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