Date:06/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/06/stories/2008080658300100.htm

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Rescue mission by chopper abandoned; flood toll 11

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: A helicopter mission to rescue about 200 persons stranded on roof-tops in two marooned villages of Adilabad district -- Boreguda and Burepalli -- was abandoned at the last minute due to inclement weather on Tuesday, even as the toll in the floods rose to 11 on Tuesday.

All of them, however, were taken to safety by country boats as flood water that gushed from swollen hill-streams and Kadem project, receded.

On a request by the State Government, IAF authorities readied a chopper at Hakimpet for the mission but dropped the plan due to poor visibility.

YSR cuts short visit

Of the total casualties, East Godavari accounted for four, Karimnagar, three, Adilabad two, and Khammam and West Godavari one each.

The inclement weather forced Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to cut short his visit to Vizianagaram after fulfilling his scheduled engagements in Visakhapatnam and fly back to the capital. After returning, he reviewed the flood situation with Collectors of the rain-battered districts of Adilabad, Khammam, Warangal, Krishna, Vizianagaram and Karimnagar.

Godavari rises

Meanwhile, the Godavari rose downstream of Sriramsagar project and was likely to cross the first warning level of 43 ft at Bhadrachalam. A number of villages on either side of the river were alerted or evacuated. Owing to inflows from the Munneru and other tributaries, the Krishna also swelled at Vijayawada. Sixty of the 72 gates of Prakasam barrage were lifted to let out the flood water into the sea.

Rain continues

Heavy rain continued in the State for the third day, with the low pressure area hovering in the Bay of Bengal off North Andhra coast keeping the monsoon “vigorous”. Sirpur in Adilabad district recorded heavy rainfall of 21 cm, Tuni, Paderu 13 cm each, Thiruvuru 12 cm, Amalapuram, Tanuku 11 cm each, Khammam and Chintalapudi 10 cm each. On the positive side, the sown area increased to 47.14 lakh hectares against a seasonal normal of 79 lakh ha while the demand for power tumbled to 147 million units against a peak summer demand of 195 mu.