Flood toll rises to 100; loss put at Rs 112.31 crore

Hyderabad, Aug 7 (UNI) Army help was sought as the toll in the Andhra Pradesh flood mounted to 100 with major rivers Godavari and Krishna in spate, affecting 3.11 lakh people and destroying property worth Rs 112.31 crore in 16 of the state's 23 districts. Visakhapatnam accounted for 14 deaths, followed by Vizianagaram and Khammam (13 each), East Godavari (11), Guntur (10), Nizamabad (8), Srikakulam and Karimnagar (6 each), Krishna and Warangal (5 each), Hyderabad (3), West Godavari and Medak (two each), Adilabad and Nalgonda (one each), the State Government said.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy made an aerial survey of the worst-affected East Godavari district, where the river's tributaries Vashita and Gautami breached embankments, inundating hundreds of villages in the Konaseema region.

Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu toured North Coastal Andhra and urged the Centre and State to step up relief and rehabilitation work.

Responding to the grim scenario, the Centre had asked Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to visit the flood-hit states, including Andhra Pradesh, on August nine for taking stock of the situation.

Earlier, as water level in the Godavari and Krishna rapidly rose in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Dr Reddy spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the telephone seeking the assistance of army personnel, naval divers and Air Force helicopters to augment the state's efforts.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi telephoned Dr Reddy to inquire about the flood situation and assured him of all help from the party.

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