Andhra Pradesh, Telangana rain: CM Chandrababu Naidu urges Centre to declare floods as ‘national calamity’ | 10 updates

Over the past few days, unusually heavy rainfall has caused significant damage in several parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Here are the top ten updates:

1. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the recent torrential rain and resulting floods in Andhra Pradesh, especially in Vijayawada, as the “biggest disaster” he has encountered in his political career, PTI reported.

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2. “In my career, this is the biggest disaster...We had some events like Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone but compared to these, here the human suffering and property loss is the biggest,” Naidu told a press conference at the NTR district collectorate late Monday.

3. The NDRF team, along with Central forces and district officials provided food, drinking water, and other essential items to the flood-affected areas in Vijayawada through helicopters.

4. Meanwhile, at least 16 people have died in various rain-related incidents as heavy rains battered Telangana. On Monday, the state government estimated the damage at ₹5,000 crore and requested immediate assistance of ₹2,000 crore from the Centre.

5. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh each to the families of those who died in rain-related incidents, also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the affected areas and declare the floods a national calamity.

5. Andhra CM Naidu said all reports related to the calamity will be sent to the Centre, and he will request it to liberally give funds to the state to recover from the losses. “The Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada witnessed its highest floodwater level and recorded a discharge of 11.43 lakh cusecs. The barrage was designed to withstand a maximum of 11.9 lakh cusecs of floodwater,” Naidu added.

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6. The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out relief operations in flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada district on Monday, ANI reported. In a post on X, “Vijayawadafloods: Late last evening, @IAF_MCC swiftly responded to the call to augment the NDRF effort. Two IL-76 aircraft took off at dawn from Halwara and Bhatinda, airlifting 242 NDRF personnel and 30 tons of relief material to Vijayawada and Shamshabad. Helicopters are also on standby in the affected areas, ready to provide further assistance.”

7. ANI reported, citing officials, that four aircraft, including two, each an Ilyushin-76 and a C-130, carried NDRF teams and relief material from different parts of the country to support relief operations in Vijayawada. The IAF aircraft from Halwara and Bhatinda are aiding the NDRF efforts in Andhra.

8. Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer also expressed concern about the heavy rain and flooding disrupting daily life in Vijayawada and surrounding areas. He advised people to stay in safe locations, avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary, and seek assistance from government authorities in emergencies.

Also Read: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh rains create havoc; 110 villages submerged, 99 trains cancelled: What we know so far

9. The Governor has also asked the Red Cross, Scouts and Guides, and other NGOs to work with government authorities to actively engage in rescue and relief efforts. He emphasized the importance of their involvement in distributing food, medicines, and other essential items to those affected.

10. An official of the Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway (SCR) said due to heavy rains and waterlogging over the tracks at several locations on the SCR network, as many as 432 trains were cancelled and 13 trains were partially cancelled.

(With inputs from agencies)