Wednesday, September 21 2005 14:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: IAF helicopters and army personnel were engaged in rescuing people in marooned villages as heavy rains, triggered by cyclonic storm, left atleast 40 dead during the last two days and rendered thousands of people homeless in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy today (Sept 21, 2005) left on an aerial survey of the rain-battered areas of East Godavari, West Godavari, Khammam and Krishna districts, official sources said.

Heavy rain continued to batter most parts of the state on the third consecutive day, the Met department said here.

Major rivers like Godavari and Krishna were in spate even as the water level in Godavari, at the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district, crossed the third warning level of 55 ft last night (Sept 20, 2005) and is likely to increase further.

Over 50,000 people from the Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Khammam districts have been evacuated to safer places while the road and rail services continued to be disrupted in several parts of the state.

The official sources put the death toll due to torrential rains and floods at 40 while unconfirmed reports pouring in from the affected districts put the figure at over 50.

Governor Sushilkumar Shinde left for Tirupati to meet the visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and submit a report to him detailing the preliminary assessment of the damage caused by heavy rains.

Meanwhile, the flight services to and from Visakhapatnam remained suspended for the second day today with the runway being flooded.

Two IAF choppers were pressed into service to rescue people stranded in marooned villages in Khammam and East Godavari districts while the district administration across the coastal and Telangana regions has been put on high alert, the sources said.

The army personnel also swung into action to assist the civil authorities in Khammam and East Godavari districts where large number of villages were inundated, they added.

Over 30 relief camps were opened in Khammam district and similar camps were being opened in other rain-ravaged districts, the state Disaster Management Commissioner Shashank Goel said.

The road and rail traffic was severely disrupted following the heavy downpour and power supply was affected in 25 towns.

The flood rescue teams were positioned in vulnerable areas in Bhadrachalam, Rajhamundry, Polavaram and other places on the banks of the river to begin evacuation.

Senior officials have been deputed to monitor situation in these districts.

Food grains have been stored and relief camps opened. Medical teams have also been pressed into operation.

The railway tracks in Warangal district were submerged forcing the authorities to cancel or reschedule several trains.