Rain toll mounts to 29, loss put at Rs 1215.99 cr

Hyderabad, Nov 3 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh government today put the preliminary estimate of losses in Cyclone 'Ogni' at Rs 1215.99 crore, even as the toll rose to 29 with one more death in Guntur district.

Reviewing the grim flood situation from New Delhi, where he was camping, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy directed deployment of additional medical teams to the affected areas and requested 10 more mechanised boats from the Navy to ferry people to safer places and reach medicines, food and drinking water to them.

The government sought more help from defence forces as the flood situation continued to be alarming in south coastal region today. Dr Reddy apprised Central leaders of the gravity of the situation, an official release here said.

With a trough of low pressure over South West Bay and adjoining West-Central Bay persisting, isolated heavy rain was likely over Telangana and Rayalaseema and in Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 24 hours, according to Hyderabad Meteorological Centre Director M Satya Kumar.

Over 1.95 lakh displaced people were put up in 542 relief camps as many parts of Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts were still inundated with water, Disaster Management Assistant Commissioner Priyadarshini told UNI. 'Poor receptivity of water by the sea' added to the woes of flood-hit people, who were keeping their fingers crossed with crops in 3.51 lakh hectare submerged, she added.

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