The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) are actively involved in relief and rescue operations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said on Friday.
In Andhra Pradesh, over 350 people have been rescued and 15,000 evacuated, while in Telangana, 68 individuals have been rescued and around 3,200 evacuated, Jindal said.
“NDRF teams are providing pre-hospital care and helping distribute food and relief materials to marooned families,” said Jindal, adding that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Water Commission (CWC) have been issuing timely alerts to aid rescue operations.
Leading a central team of experts to assess the flood-affected areas, Jindal is focusing on reservoir management and dam safety. The team has visited key flood-affected areas, including the Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada, where flooding was worsened by three major breaches and 16 minor ones. Repairs are underway, with one breach already fixed and another expected to be resolved by evening, Jindal said
In a press conference, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu described the situation in Vijayawada as “unprecedented,” saying extensive crop damage has impacted 200,000 farmers.
In Telangana, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has announced an immediate relief fund of Rs 5 crore for the affected districts of Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad, and Suryapet, and is considering urging the central government to declare the floods a national calamity.
(With inputs from ANI)