A total of six people in Andhra Pradesh have been killed so far due to the unprecedented rains caused by Cyclone Gulab. While three people died in the Vizianagaram district, three others died in the Visakhapatnam district and one person is reportedly missing in the Srikakulam district. These three coastal districts saw some of the highest rainfall in the state and continued to see intermittent rains on Tuesday, September 28.
According to data released by the state government, as on Tuesday morning, a total of 60 mandals and 392 villages were affected due to the rains. While 1,850 houses were inundated and marooned in the three districts, 42 houses were damaged due to the rains, as per the data.
It also states that a total of 96 trees were uprooted or fell due to the heavy rains. Totally, 409 kms of roads were reportedly damaged as well. While the state government has pegged the temporary damage at Rs 907 crore, the permanent damage is estimated to be around Rs 5,907 crore. The electricity department also suffered losses as several poles and feeders were damaged.
Meanwhile, 94 relief camps were set up for those displaced, as around 4,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes due to the unprecedented rains. Visakhapatnam reported the maximum number of relief camps.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were deployed in Srikakulam, Vizianagram, Visakhapatnam and Krishna district. While seven teams were deployed to Vizianagaram, five teams were sent to Srikakulam, with two and one teams deployed respectively to Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts.
Each SDRF team consists of 25 members and is strategically positioned to help with the rescue and relief operations in a particular district. One chopper was also deployed to the Vizianagaram district to be used for search and rescue operations. Nineteen fire service teams were positioned at vulnerable points in the Srikakulam district as well.
On Saturday and Sunday, the state received 3.7 mm rainfall and 9.6 mm of rainfall, respectively. And on Monday, it received a maximum of 34.9mm. Cumulatively, in the last few days, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari received the maximum rainfall in Andhra. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted light rainfall for the next few days in most districts in the state.