New Delhi:

Dramatic time-lapse footage of floodwaters taking over a street in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada were shared Tuesday, underlining the scale of the emergency facing authorities after heavy rain in coastal districts killed nearly 50 people, a majority in the city, and affected over 10 lakh.

CCTV footage from Vijayawada’s Ajit Singh Nagar – submerged after a breach in the Budameru canal – showed ankle-level flooding in the narrow street at 9 am.

There was no indication of the rapid rise in water level that was to come.

Within three hours the road was under four feet of murky grey floodwaters with plastic bags and other waste material flowing along the street. As the water level rose, some concerned residents waded through the flood to hop on to two-wheelers and drive away.

Ten seconds into the clip the water had swelled from ankle-level to knee-level.

Twenty seconds into the clip three parked two-wheelers were half underwater.

But the worst and the scariest part was still to come.

From the 30-second mark to the 45th second the water level rose significantly, reaching well above the waist of five men wading, almost swimming, their way through the street, surrounded by muddy brown water teeming with plastic and other garbage.

By this time the street had become impossible to navigate (except perhaps on boats) but the water level was still rising, reaching to and over some compound walls standing four feet high.

The story was much the same in other parts of the city, with officials saying over 30,000 houses had been completely flooded and fire engines – over 100 of them – had to be deployed to clean algae and other waste material from the walls and inside compounds.

Water Department officials also had to figure out how to un-entangle three boats that had collided with the Prakasam barrage stretching across the Krisha River; eventually two heavy cranes, each capable of lifting 50 tonnes, had to be summoned to remove the vessels.

The boats had smashed into one another after all 70 gates of the barrage had to be opened to release floodwaters downstream. The location of the fourth is still unknown, such as the fury with which the water dashed into the boats.

In an unexpected twist, police have arrested two persons, including the owner of three boats, on suspicion of sabotage; the cops claim the boats, allegedly belonging to supporters of the opposition YSR Congress Party, were left to damage the barrage when the gates were opened.

Meanwhile, in some good news for flood-battered Vijayawada, water levels have almost receded from most parts and the city is expected to return to normalcy by tonight.

Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana said 26 of the city’s 32 wards had been cleared, but noted there were still challenges, such as removing floodwaters from Payakapuram, which had been underwater for nine days. Municipal workers have been busy removing sand, mud, and other debris from roads and residential areas, and sprinkling bleaching powder.

VIDEO | Chandrababu Naidu’s Close Call With A Train On A Railway Bridge

Electricity has also been mostly restored, with 95 per cent of the city’s supply back online.

As part of the relief measures – for which the Andhra Pradesh government has sought Rs 6,880 crore from the centre – packets of food, milk, and biscuits, are being distributed.

VIDEO | Chandrababu Naidu Visits Flood-Hit Vijayawada In A Boat

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party is an ally of the BJP in power at the centre, camped out in the city last week to direct rescue operations. He took the chance for a swipe at his rival, declaring the floods were due to his predecessor’ neglect of water canals.

Till Monday Vijayawada had to struggle with widespread floods for a ninth consecutive day.

With input from agencies

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The Indian Air Force is providing relief materials to people stranded in their homes in flood-hit areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The water level has started receding in parts of the states but flooding remains.

The Indian Air Force has deployed Mi-17, Chetak helicopters and C-130J, IL-76 transport aircraft for its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Yesterday, the Indian Air Force airlifted over 300 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel into affected areas and 60,000 kg of life-sustaining material was dropped.

A video showed a Mi-17 hovering a few feet above the roof of a house in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada and a man standing on the roof collecting supplies.

आंध्र प्रदेश : विजयवाड़ा के बाढ़ प्रभावित इलाकों में भारतीय वायुसेना ने राहत सामग्री पहुंचाई. #Vijayawada | #IndianAirforce | #Floodpic.twitter.com/MAo4DpilFm

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) September 4, 2024

In another video, an Indian Air Force Mi-17 chopper, the backbone of the force’s relief and rescue operations and has served in active combat, dropped relief material to people who were desperately waiting for supplies.

IAF brings relief to flood struck areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, by inducting NDRF teams and essentials from across the country.
The HADR operations which began on 02 Sep 24, saw use of IAF’s IL-76, C-130J, Mi-17s and Chetaks in positioning 332 NDRF personnel in the… pic.twitter.com/T8vc4LFoRa

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 3, 2024

Roads are submerged and life has come to a standstill in flood-affected areas of both states. The death count has risen to 32 in Andhra Pradesh and over 45,000 people have been moved to relief camps.

NTR district, which houses Vijayawada, the most affected, accounted for 24 deaths; Guntur (seven) and Palnadu (one), according to an official release.

Meanwhile, a new weather system is developing over the Bay of Bengal Sea.

According to the India Meteorological Department, light to moderate rainfall is very likely at many places of north coastal Andhra Pradesh from September 4 to 8, and also over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) from Wednesday to Friday.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with bankers and insurance company representatives to request them to settle insurance claims on damaged vehicles and others in 10 days, and also resolve them in a fortnight.

In Telangana, At least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents as heavy downpours lashed several parts of the state. The Telangana government seeking immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre for flood relief measures. 

However the union government has pointed out that the state government did not submit requisite information for the release of funds. It said over Rs 1,345 crore was available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) account as of April 1 this year for flood relief measures during 2024-25.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre is closely monitoring the current flood situation in Andhra Pradesh and has constituted a team of experts that will visit the flood-affected areas of the state for an on-the-spot assessment and make recommendations for immediate relief.

Amaravati:

At least 17 people in Andhra Pradesh have so far been killed in rain-related incidents and subsequent floods, that have left lakhs of people scampering for daily needs in several districts. The worst affected districts included Vijayawada, NTR, Guntur, Krishna, Eluru, Palnadu, Bapatla, and Prakasam, where thousands of acres of crops have been submerged.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the recent torrential rain and floods in Andhra Pradesh is the “biggest disaster” he has witnessed in the state in his political career.

“We had some events like Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone but compared to these, here the human suffering and property loss is the biggest,” he told a press conference on Monday.

How Drones Are Assisting In Andhra Floods

The state government and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have now started dropping food packets, water bottles, and other necessities for people in flood-affected areas via drones.

Earlier, drones were only used to get an aerial view of disaster-hit areas. But now, they have made the job easier, faster, and more efficient, saving fuel for choppers that were used before in relief and rescue operations.

Drones have made reporting stories from flood-hit areas that much more dramatic; aerial visuals from #Mahbubabad district #MaripeduMandal purushottamayyagudem bridge; #drones give more comprehensive view & can help in delivery of essentials #DronesInFloods#ReportingOnFloodspic.twitter.com/RAGREbrgUR

— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) September 2, 2024

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said the state government has for the first time deployed drones to deliver relief materials and food to flood-affected people.

“This has made relief operations more efficient and quick,” he wrote on X and shared a video of a drone delivering a food packet.

The GoAP, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri @ncbn Garu, has for the first time ever deployed drones to deliver relief materials and food to our flood-affected people. This has made relief operations more efficient and quick.#APGovtWithFloodVictims… pic.twitter.com/AfwuFKg4J8

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 2, 2024

Mr Naidu said eight to nine drones were used to deliver food packets — which also included biscuits, fruits, milk, and medicines — to 10,000 people on Monday and assured that up to 35 more drones would be deployed on Tuesday.

In some cases, drones were also used to drop life jackets to people stranded in flooded areas. A boy was able to come out of a flood area because of that life jacket in the Khammam district.

New Delhi:
At least 10 more people were killed as heavy rain battered Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the second consecutive day on Sunday, causing flooding and waterlogging in several areas, and disrupting road and rail traffic.

Here Are Top Points On Andhra, Telangana Rain Fury: