MESSAGE BOARD
NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Depression brewing in Bay of Bengal fuels fresh fears

The army was, on Saturday, alerted to be ready to evacuate people from low-lying areas in and around Hyderabad following reports of possible breaches in water tanks even as a new low pressure area forming in the Bay of Bengal fuelled fears of further devastation in the already flood-ravaged Andhra Pradesh.

As the death toll in the heavy rains that battered several parts of the state in the last four days touched 131, the weather office forecast heavy rains in coastal Andhra in the next 36 hours, triggering panic among people.

A visibly worried Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told the state assembly on Saturday that the situation was 'grim and frightening', but assured the members that the government was fully geared up to meet the situation.

Even as Naidu was making a statement in the House on the damage due to the floods, reports came in about possible breaches in two tanks, one at Qutbullapur in the adjoining Ranga Reddy district and another at Langar House in the city.

The army was being alerted and irrigation experts being rushed to prevent breaches in the tanks, Naidu said.

As per preliminary estimates, the floods have caused losses amounting to Rs 6 billion, the chief minister said, adding that over 100,000 families spread over 13 districts had been affected.

SEE ALSO
Flood situation 'alarming'
Central team in AP to oversee flood relief

Tell us what you think of this report