Rain toll in AP put at 18, fresh low pressure to form

Hyderabad, Sep 13 (UNI) As many as 18 people were killed as heavy rains lashed Andhra Pradesh under the influence of a low pressure, even as weatherman predicted formation of a fresh low pressure area over West Central and adjoining North West Bay of Bengal around September 15.

Returning from New Delhi, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy holding a review meeting with Diaster Management officials directed officials concerned to step up relief and rehabilitation to mitigate the sufferings of the people affected by heavy rains in the last three days.

West Godavari District accounted for a maximum of eight deaths, followed by Karimnagar and Nalgonda three each, Visakhapatnam two and Anantapur and Rangareddy one each, Diaster Management department officials said.

With heavy rains in the catchment areas in Karnataka and Maharashtra, Thungabhadra and Krishna basins received heavy inflows of over 1.31 lakh cusecs and 1.70 lakh cusecs at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.

The level of the Vamsadhara at Gotta Barrage reached second warning level with an inflow of 80,000 cusecs and water at the Old Bridge at Nagavali reached the danger level.

''Fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is likely over Telangana during next 24 hours and decrease thereafter,'' IMD officials said, adding under the influence of a fresh low pressure area in the North West Bay of Bengal in the next two days, rainfall was likely to increase over the State after September 15.

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