Central Team Visits Andhra Pradesh's Flood-Ravaged Districts

An inter-ministerial team from the Central government will visit flood-hit districts in Andhra Pradesh. The death toll rose to 32, with over 45,000 evacuees. CM Naidu is urging banks to reschedule loans for victims. A new weather system is forming over the Bay of Bengal with more rainfall expected.

An inter-ministerial team from the Central government is set to visit the flood-ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday to interact with affected residents. The team will assess the devastation in Krishna, NTR, and Guntur districts.

'The Central team will include National Disaster Management Authority adviser KP Singh and Central Water Commission Director Siddarth Mitra,' stated an official release.

The torrential downpours and subsequent floods have resulted in a death toll of 32 and led to 45,369 people taking refuge in relief camps as of Wednesday evening. NTR district, including the severely hit Vijayawada area, accounted for 24 fatalities, followed by Guntur with seven and Palnadu with one.

Meanwhile, a new weather system is developing over the Bay of Bengal. 'A fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal around September 5,' according to the release.

The India Meteorological Department predicts light to moderate rainfall in many areas of north coastal Andhra Pradesh from September 4 to 8 and also in south coastal regions until Friday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Eluru and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts, with heavy downpours predicted in several other districts including East Godavari and Visakhapatnam.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with bankers and insurance representatives to expedite the settlement of insurance claims and reschedule loans for flood victims. He urged banks not to pressure victims over EMIs, especially given the extensive damage to homes and vehicles. Naidu also visited affected areas to assess the damage.

Infrastructure took a massive hit with nearly 3,973 km of roads damaged. Agricultural fields have also suffered, with crops destroyed across 1.7 lakh hectares and 18,631 horticultural fields, affecting about 2.35 lakh farmers.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief, with Rs 1 lakh allocated to each of 400 panchayats. Additionally, government officers' associations and other entities are contributing funds to assist with relief efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)