The Hindu : Front Page : Fresh threat of heavy rain in State

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Sunday, Aug 13, 2006

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Fresh threat of heavy rain in State

Special Correspondent

Low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal intensifies into a depression

HYDERABAD: The threat of another spell of heavy rain looms large over north coastal districts of the State as Friday's low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression and lay over the north Orissa coast, about 100 km from Balasore, on Saturday morning.

The Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC) at Visakhapatnam said the depression would intensify further and move slowly before crossing the coast on Sunday morning. As a result, heavy rain and strong gales are forecast in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts in the next 48 hours. Telangana and Rayalaseema regions will also receive moderate rain.

The first cautionary signals were hoisted in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machilipatnam ports and fishermen advised not to venture into the sea. The State Government sounded an alert in the coastal districts and asked the Collectors to take all precautions.

A report from Srikakulam said the water level in Vamsadhara was likely to rise by night as there was heavy rain in the catchment. The level in Nagavali had already gone up slightly.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the floods rose to 120 on Saturday, according to the latest reports at the control room of the Secretariat here. This followed reports of 12 more deaths in East Godavari district where large tracts of Konaseema region are still under water.

Epidemics

Three persons, including a woman, were drowned in flood waters at three different places in Konaseema. The woman was washed away while going for agricultural work. A man was drowned in the Gowthami river.

Officials in Khammam district are struggling to prevent outbreak of epidemics as flood waters began receding in the Bhadrachalam division. Five persons who returned to their homes from relief camps died of fevers and diarrhoea. However, the water receded in Khammam, East and West Godavari districts as the level of Godavari dropped. It fell from 48 ft. on Friday to 42 ft. at Bhadrachalam in the afternoon. The swollen Krishna flooded residential localities near Vijayawada.

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