The Hindu Business Line : AP intensifies flood relief operations

Hyderabad, Oct. 6 The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday assured people that the flood threat, now mostly cantered around the Prakasham barrage in Krishna district and Vijayawada, will improve in the next 24 hours.

The Government said that relief and rehabilitation works have been intensified and enumeration of crop loss will be taken up from Wednesday.

Addressing newspersons after a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, the State Revenue Minister, Mr Dharmana Prasada Rao, said the situation in major reservoirs of Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar, which have been the focus of attention in the four days, has improved significantly.

It will take about 24 hours more for the flood fury to abate at the Prakasham barrage in the Krishna district. The excess water flow from the Nagarjunasagar dam into the barrage and surge in water levels had inundated hundreds of villages. However, timely measures by the Government could ensure safety of people by evacuating them to safer zones and relief camps.

The Revenue Minister said that thus far 63 deaths have been reported. The Government could limit the damage to lives by evacuating nearly 1.5 million people in five-intensely hit districts of Kurnool, Mahbubnagar, Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda.

The President, Ms Pratibha Patil, spoke to the Chief Minister and expressed concern about the severe crisis the State had to face in the last few days having to bear the brunt of the flood fury. Earlier, in the day, the Union Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, in a communication called upon the State Government to utilise the CRF (Calamity Relief Fund) immediately and once the 75 per cent of the CRF is exhausted, the State Government could draw on the National Calamity Contingency Fund.

Power plants

Mr Chidambaram also assured that a Central team would be deputed to assess the damage caused due to the floods once the State Government was ready to receive them. Funds will not be a constraint and they could go ahead and focus on relief to the affected people.

Once the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, returns from his foreign tour, further measures will be considered, Mr Chidambaram said. APGenco has communicated that the Vijayawada Thermal Power Station and the 965 MW Nagarjunasagar main power house are safe and generating power.

The officials have told the Chief Minister that the 117 MW Jurala hydel plant was also safe.

However, the Srisailam right bank canal powerhouse was submerged due to flooding and could take some time for restoration. However, the Srisailam left bank power house of 900 MW will resume generation once the water level in the reservoir comes down to 885 feet. This may take about five days and was shut down as a precautionary measure.

The State Government is enlisting the services of BHEL for restoration of the Srisailam power plant.

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