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State was unprepared for the crisis: Naidu

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The death toll due to heavy rains and floods in Andhra Pradesh has mounted to 100. However, the situation in the state capital Hyderabad was improving with only light rains on Thursday night.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that he will send a report about the situation to the Centre.

The chief minister, on Thursday night, admitted that the administration was not prepared for the crisis. He placed the blame on the meteorology department claiming it gave vague and inadequate reports about the rains.

The most-affected districts are Hyderabad, Guntur, Medak, Nalgonda, Kurnool, Rangareddy, Warangal, Prakasam, Krishna and Cudappah, among others. The rains have destroyed crops and flooded the Vijayawada-Madras highway. Indian Air Force helicopters are dropping food packets to people in flood-affected areas.

He said the government had set up relief camps wherever possible and relief and rescue operations were being monitored on an hourly basis by control rooms at the state, district and mandal levels. The government has also deputed nine senior Indian Administrative Service officers to supervise and coordinate relief operations with district collectors.

The chief minister pointed out that the state capital - Hyderabad -and the adjoining Rangareddy district were among the worst-affected by the heavy rains. In fact, Hyderabad witnessed such heavy rainfall for the first time since 1954. The city received 24 cms of rain in just 24 hours.

He said that the district collectors have been organising rescue and relief operations in all low-lying inundated areas by deploying relief teams, six army boats and two air force helicopters.

As many as 20,000 people have been shifted to relief camps in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts. Fire tenders were being deployed to bail out water from low-lying areas. In all, 35,300 persons were affected in Hyderabad city alone. However, the situation was improving with only light rains on Thursday night.

The chief minister also announced ex-gratia of Rs 100,000 to the next of kin of the persons killed. He said that the affected families would be provided immediate relief.

EARLIER REPORT
Flood situation 'alarming'

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