Cyclonic rains continue to lash Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, Nov 4: The death toll in rain-related incidents in

rose to 17 today as heavy

continued to lash several regions under the influence of

'Nilam', throwing normal life out of gear.

Coastal districts bore the brunt of nature's fury with low-lying areas of East and West Godavari, Krishna and Visakhapatnam districts getting inundated by swollen rivulets, officials said here. Paddy and other crops over 2,43,634 hectares have been hit, they said.

Disaster Management officials said 480 houses were fully damaged, and 766 partially. At least 16 tanks were breached, 449 electricity poles fell, 413.91 kms of roads were damaged.

As per a report of the Municipal Administration Department, 495 kms of roads, 406 kms of drains, 107 kms of water supply lines, 36 municipal buildings and 10,882 streetlights in the state were damaged.

Water entered houses at Chanakyapuri, Ashok Nagar, Tangellamudi and others areas of Eluru, the headquarters of West Godavari district overnight.

Water level was rising at the Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada; the area of Ramalingeswara Nagar, Singh Nagar and Payakapuram in the city were flooded.

Villages and towns on the banks of river Godavari were inundated and transport links badly affected. Some 4,000 people have shifted to 19 relief camps in Visakhapatnam district, authorities told PTI.

The South Central Railway has diverted several trains as water was flowing above the danger mark at a railway bridge between Tuni-Gullipadu on Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam section.

SCR has cancelled 12 trains, including Ratnachal Express, and partially cancelled another two.

PTI