By IANS
Hyderabad : At least 36 people have been killed in Andhra Pradesh in three days of heavy rains and floods that have also inundated dozens of villages and damaged standing crops in eight districts.
Officials said heavy rains have affected more than 4,000 families in 48 villages. The authorities have evacuated 1,393 families from low-lying areas and shifted them to 29 relief camps.
Revenue and Relief Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao told newsmen here Wednesday that 21 people were killed in incidents of house collapse and drowning while thunderbolts claimed 15 lives in the last three days.
The rains have damaged crops on 17,000 hectares of land.
The district authorities have been put on alert in view of the forecast of more rains over the next two days due to low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
An active southwest monsoon coupled with low pressure off the coast caused widespread rains in the state for the third day Wednesday, throwing normal life out of gear, disrupting transport, electricity and communication.
More than 50 villages have been inundated in Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Warangal, Nalgonda and Karimnagar districts, cutting off road links to several towns and villages.
Several rivulets, streams, tanks and canals are overflowing due to incessant rains in Kurnool, Mahabubnagar and Warangal districts. Huge inflows in Tungabhadra and Handri rivers due to rains in catchment areas in upstream Karnataka have added to the woes of people living in villages along the banks.
Dozens of habitations in Kurnool town and in Mahabubnagar district are under knee-deep water. Krishna river, one of the two major rivers that flow through the state, is receiving floodwater from Karnataka and the crest gates of some dams across the river have been opened to let the water downstream.
Kurnool and Guntur districts accounted for seven deaths each. Four people were killed in Anantapur, two in Warangal and one in Mahabubnagar. Out of 15 deaths due to thunderbolts, Karimnagar district accounted for 10 deaths. Two people each were killed in Warangal and Khammam district and one in Adilabad.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy reviewed the flood situation through a teleconference with district collectors and asked them to be on alert to evacuate people from low-lying areas and take up relief measures on a war footing.
He announced Rs.100,000 compensation for the next of kin of the deceased. He also ordered the authorities to immediately release the required funds for relief measures.
The rains are likely to continue for two more days.