The death toll due to heavy rains and floods caused by a depression over South-West Bay of Bengal has reached 20 even as four districts in southern Andhra Pradesh were severely affected.

Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao on Tuesday told newsmen that the death toll of 20 included 15 deaths in worst-affected Nellore district, four in Kadapa and one in Chittoor district. No death was reported from Prakasam district so far. The district authorities have launched rescue, relief and restoration operations in the affected areas. All the departments have been asked to take stock of the situation from time to time and take necessary measures.  

He said that due to heavy rains, heavy damages to private and public properties and agricultural crops occurred in the affected districts. As many as 166 villages in 50 mandals in the four districts were in the grip of flash floods caused by the heavy rains since Sunday. About 66,717 people were affected. In all, 53,260 people have been shifted to 120 relief camps in the affected districts.

The district administration has arranged the distribution of food packets and water sachets to the affected persons. A helicopter has been pressed into service to air-drop the food packets to people in marooned villages in Nellore district.

All the trains, which were stopped as a precautionary measure, have been restored. One track in Gudur-Manugolu section remains affected even as efforts are for restoration.

District collectors have been asked to take up the assessment of house and crop damage and submit reports to the government. Control rooms have been opened at the district and state level. Advisory on relief, rescue and restoration measures has been issued to the district collectors.   

The revenue minister said that 42 minor irrigation tanks had breached and 235 others were damaged. The road traffic in the affected districts was disrupted due to sours and breaches to roads. Roads were overflowing at 173 places due to flash floods in the rivulets and other water sources. This has caused widespread disruption to traffic. Four chief engineers have been deputed to monitor the situation and take necessary restoration measures in the affected districts.

He said that the damage to the major and medium irrigation projects was being assessed. Damage assessment to agricultural and horticultural crops would be taken up once the water recedes. About 10 to 15 percent of the harvested groundnut got damaged due to fungus. Paddy, pulses and tobacco crop also suffered damage in Nellore district. Over a thousand houses were fully or partially damaged so far.

A well-marked low pressure area over West Central and adjoining South West Bay of Bengal continues to cause heavy rains in south coastal Andhra and north coastal Tamil Nadu. Under its influence, widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls is likely over south coastal AP during the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at few places over south coastal AP. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over the rest of AP during the next 24 hours, according to the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department.