Telangana and Andhra Pradesh floods: Amit Shah assures Centre’s support to CMs

Heavy rainfall continued to wreak havoc across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, leading to severe flooding, loss of life, and widespread disruption.

Both states have been grappling with relentless downpours over the past few days, causing rivers to swell and inundating vast areas, including major cities like Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

Emergency meetings were held by the respective chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, to assess the situation and coordinate rescue operations.

Amit Shah has spoken to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and assured them of all possible help from the Centre to deal with rains and floods in both states, reported PTI quoting people aware of the matter.

The situation in Khammam district is particularly dire, with 110 villages submerged under floodwaters.

Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said 119 people are stranded on hillocks and buildings, awaiting rescue.

“Informed Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji about the severe situation in Telangana’s Khammam & that 110 villages in the district have been submerged, 9 people are stranded on Prakash Nagar hillock, 68 people on Azmeera Thanda hillock in Palair constituency, and 42 others are trapped on buildings,” he posted on X.

In response, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been dispatched to Telangana to assist in the rescue operations. These teams, drawn from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Assam, are already in action following orders from the Union home minister Amit Shah, Sanjay Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh has also been severely affected by heavy rainfall. Vijayawada, one of the major cities in the state, has witnessed severe flooding, particularly in the Rama Krishna Puram area, where houses and cars were submerged. The NDRF, along with local police, has been actively involved in rescue and relief operations, relocating affected residents to rehabilitation centres.

10 key points on the rainfall and flood situation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh:

The Telangana government declared a holiday for all primary and secondary schools in Hyderabad on Monday, September 2, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of children.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red warnings for parts of Telangana, predicting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several districts, including Adilabad and Mahabubnagar, over the next few days.

Khammam district in Telangana is among the worst-hit areas, with 110 villages submerged under floodwaters. Over 100 people are stranded and awaiting rescue on hillocks and rooftops.

Floodwaters have washed away portions of railway tracks and caused the collapse of several houses in both states. In Mogalrajapuram, Andhra Pradesh, a woman was killed when a rock fell on her house due to the rains.

Hyderabad and Vijayawada have both experienced severe waterlogging and flooding. In Hyderabad, continued overnight rainfall led to widespread waterlogging, while in Vijayawada, several areas, including Rama Krishna Puram, were submerged.

In Telangana, a woman died after her car was swept away by floodwaters in Mahabubabad district. Her father, who was travelling with her, is still missing.

In another incident, two family members were feared washed away in Khammam district after the wall of their house collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The authorities are still searching for the missing individuals.

The heavy rainfall severely impacted the railways and as a result, 99 trains were cancelled, four were partially cancelled, and 54 were diverted.

Flooding and breaches in the railway tracks have stranded five trains in the Kazipet to Vijayawada section, prompting officials to evacuate passengers and provide them with food and other necessities.

The IMD has forecasted continued heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning for the next five days in isolated places across North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, exacerbating the already critical situation.