Eight people have lost their lives in the recent floods caused due to heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh in the last three days, as per data given by state government on Saturday. Of the eight, six people died in Chittoor district, two others were killed in Kadapa district. Andhra Pradesh witnessed incessant rainfall, under the influence of Cyclone Nivar. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has conducted a review meeting with all the officials concerned on Saturday to assess the damage.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who reviewed the situation in Tirupati after an aerial survey of the affected districts, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. He also directed that Rs 500 be given as relief to each person accommodated in government relief camps in the rain-battered districts.
Meanwhile, several people are also sheltered in the relief camps as their homes were inundated with floodwaters. In Nellore district, 17,163 people, in Kadapa 15,289 and in Chittoor 4,012 people were sheltered in relief camps, Collectors of these districts told the Chief Minister during the review.
Significant damages to the agricultural crops, too, were reported. A total of 72,755 hectares in Kadapa, 33,269 hectares in Nellore and 9,658 hectares in Chittoor district were destroyed in the cyclonic storm Nivar.
Similarly, horticultural crops in 1,729 hectares in Chittoor, 3,240 hectares in Kadapa and 931 hectares in SPS Nellore district were also affected.
Hundreds of houses and roads stretching to hundreds of kilometres in these districts were also damaged, the Collectors told the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister directed the Collectors and Water Resources Department authorities to take immediate steps to restore the Pincha and Annamayya projects in Kadapa district, which were damaged due to the downpour and inflows.
He also asked officials to complete full enumeration of crop damage by December 15 so that necessary relief could be distributed to affected farmers by December 31.
Jagan Mohan Reddy wanted repairs to roads and drains taken up on a war-footing.
Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy, ministers, legislators and other officials attended the review meeting.