34 killed in AP and WB; Heavy rains in Punjab, HP

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) At least 34 people were killed in weather related incidents in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal in the last 24 hours as rains lashed Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

In Andhra Pradesh, 17 people died in the last 24 hours taking the toll in rain related incidents in the state to 31.

Karimnagar, where over 3000 people were evacuated, accounted for 15 deaths, followed by Guntur(7), Warangal(5), Khammam(2) and Adilabad and Medak one each, the Andhra Pradesh Government said, announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 1.50 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.

Due to heavy rains in the catchment areas in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the level in Godavari alarmingly rose at different places. Second flood Warning level was issued at the temple town of Bhadrachalam with the level going up to 50.3 feet. People from two villages in Khammam district were evacuated. The discharge into the sea was stepped up to 10 lakh cusecs from the Dowleswaram barrage.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who held a tele-conference with the District Collectors, instructed them to take necessary steps to prevent any outbreak of contagious diseases.

State Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao and TRS president K Chandrasekara Rao made separate visits to the flood-hit areas.

In West Bengal, at least seventeen people, including three women were killed in wall collapse and 13,500 houses destroyed in storm in different districts of the state.

State Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told newspersons in the day that 12 people were killed and 7,000 thatched huts damaged in South 24 Parganas, while one person died and 6,500 kachcha houses were destroyed in East Midnapore district in the storm, which hit the area around midnight last night.

He said ten blocks had been affected in South 24 Parganas district where as nine blocks had been affected in East Midnapore district.

Mr Dasgupta informed that the Government had sanctioned Rs four crore for relief to the affected areas, while Rs 4000 would be given to those whose houses had been fully damaged and Rs 2000 to the partially affected people.

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