Rain advisory for AP, Maharashtra

New Delhi: Flash floods and incessant rains in various parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have wrecked havoc across both states.

Low-lying areas have been inundated and lakhs of people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe waterlogging.

Andhra Pradesh marooned

Over three lakh people were affected as River Godavari's tributaries Gawtami and Vashita breached embankments even as the level in the river was 13.7 feet above the third danger level mark of 52 feet in the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Monday.

Rain Advisory

Dos

Keep helpline numbers handy.

Stay indoors unless its an emergency

Carry your mobile phones in plastic bags.

Avoid using autolocks in cars when hitting flooded parts/low-lying areas.

Avoid traveling mentioned on low-lying risk areas.

Take shelter under solid roofed areas.

Watch out for BMC mobile updates

Do not hesitate providing food to stranded people

Allow people to use your landline in case of emergencies

Keep refreshments with you incase you are heading out

School/office goers must carry extra clothing

Rail and flight details to be checked before leaving residence

Carry money for emergency

Boil drinking water

Keep first-aid handy for stomach and chronic disorders

Keep your radio on for updates

Don'ts

Do not spread rumours like tsunami/tidal-waves during high tide.

Do not take shelter near electric barge poles.

Do not listen to heresay consult BMC or disaster mgt cells for help.

Do not attempt crossing tracks/bridges submerged underwater.

Do not push for headway in rush hour traffic.

Reviewing the flood situation at a high-level meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy appointed three senior officers to oversee relief and rehabilitation in the districts of Khammam, East and West Godavari Districts as large tracts of land were inundated with flood water.

Two helicopters were pressed into service to drop food packets and water sachets to the people of the marooned villages as the right bank of River Gowthami breached embankments at Sanepallilanka and left bank of Vasishta at Mondilanka, Diaster Management Commissioner Debabratha Kanta said.

Traffic came to a standstill on the Highway between Mumidavaram and Amalapuram in the worst-hit Konaseema region.

About 28.50 lakh cusecs of water was discharged into sea from the Dowleswaram Barrage as over 3.5 lakh cusecs was realised at the Sriramsagar Project in the upper Godavari with heavy inflows from Maharashtra and its various rivers including Sabari which were in spate, Irrigation officials said.

A Krishna temple constructed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and slated for inauguration by the Chief Minister on August nine, was submerged, a report from Rajahmundry said.

Monsoon mayhem in Maharashtra

Continuous rainfall since last night has thrown life in Mumbai out of gear yet again. Mumbai's train services are running 10 to 15 minutes behind schedule due to heavy downpour since this morning.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy appointed three senior officers to oversee relief

Speed or local trains has been restricted as a precautionary measure, railway control room sources said. Water logging which the city and its suburbs witnessed this morning in several low lying areas owing to high tide at 1057 hrs, is now receeding, sources at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster management cell said.

The second high tide is at 1654 hours. The Met department forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall in the city and its suburbs during the next 24 hours.

Colaba recorded 191.6 mm rainfall, while Santacruz recorded 224.2 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours ending at 0830 hrs today.

Fire brigade sources said they received about 50 calls of uprooted trees and short-circuits in the past 24 hours.

Waterlogging was reported in Anupam Nagar, Retibander, Joda-pati, Mahatma-fule and Yogi-dham. Residents in the area were evacuated and moved to make-shift camps which have been set up in government schools and hospitals.

This picture of waterlogging in Mumbai was sent to us by Citizen Journalist Gokul Guruprasad from Mumbai's Tilak Nagar area

Power supply in these areas have also been partially cut off. Heavy rains have also led to waterlogging in areas like Malad, Andheri-Kurla, SV Road, Kalina and Dadar.

Road traffic has been affected with visibility on the Mumbai-Nasik highway reduced to 50 metres.

Met Department predicts rain or thundershowers to continue in parts of city and suburbs for the next 24 hours.

In Nagpur, authorities have pressed into service an IAF helicopter and two motor boats to rescue about 850 persons from Kolshi village on the banks of river Wardha in south-east Vidarbha region as the river is in spate, sources said.

In Pune, several low-lying areas in the city, Khed and Shirur talukas were still submerged as heavy rains continue unabated, but the discharge from various dams has been reduced, a senior official said.

Many areas were still inundated including Singhad Road, Pulachiwadi, Kamgar Putla and Patil Estates while the situation was similar in Pimpri-Chinchwad's Sangvi, Pimpri Dapodi and Phugewadi, he added.

Due to heavy rainfall, many schools in the city were closed and the attendance in offices was also low, while road traffic was disrupted due to flooding

The flood alert was still in place and since Sunday the local administrations have shifted 1300 families from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, 40 families from Khed taluka and 40 families from Shirur taluka of Pune district after discharge from various dams resulted in inundation of low-lying areas along the banks of Mula, Mutha, Pavana and Bhima, Deputy Resident Collector Suhas Divse said.

Rains were still lashing several parts of the district including the city, Divse said. The present discharge from Khadakwasala dam was 34,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water as against yesterday's 50,000 cusecs.

Similarly, the discharge of Mulshi has been reduced to 20,000 cusecs from 34,000 cusecs, Chaskaman to 20,000 from 50,000 cusecs and Bund Garden to 132, 000 cusecs.

Devastating downpour in Gujarat

In Gujarat, an IAF helicopter and two motorboats are trying to rescue 850 stranded people from Kolshi village, near Nagpur, on the banks of River Wardha.

The Godavari is flowing 25 ft above danger mark, inundating over 2,000 acres of farmland in Nasik. About 178 villages are flooded in Nanded, Parbhani, Beed and Jalna. 18,000 people have been evacuated from the Marathwada region.

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