The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Rain toll increases to 17 in the State

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Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Rain toll increases to 17 in the State

Standing crops on 47,000 hectares damaged
174 houses damaged in RR, Karimnagar districts

- PHOTOS: G.N. RAO & RAJU

At a loss: (Left) Rain leaves maize crop damaged in Kodumur village of Khammam district on Tuesday. (Right) In Vijayawada a portion of the road caved in at Veeramachineni Ranga Rao Street, Sitaramapuram. A car that was sucked in was later taken out.

HYDERABAD: The toll in the heavy rain caused by the low pressure area over the South East Arabian sea in the last three days went up to 17.

Making a statement in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said that six persons died in Kurnool, followed by Khammam, (four), West Godavari (three), Mahabubnagar (two) and Hyderabad and Prakasam (one each) due to electrocution, drowning and lightning. He said 16 districts received widespread rain ranging from 5 to 20 cm.

As per the preliminary enumeration report of the Agriculture Department, standing crops on 47,000 hectares had been damaged. Paddy, maize, pulses, mango, sunflower, jowar, chilli, turmeric, tobacco and vegetable crops were badly damaged.

East Godavari was the worst affected district with crops on 22,100 hectares either submerged under rainwater or damaged. Paddy crop on an extent of 24,056 hectares was damaged in Prakasam, East Godavari, Kurnool, Krishna, Nellore, West Godavari and Nalgonda districts. Maize crop was also badly affected to the extent of 13,293 hectares. Chilli raised on 5,664 hectares perished in the rain.

The Revenue Minister said 174 houses were damaged in Ranga Reddy and Karimnagar districts. He said Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy reviewed the situation and decided to extend ex gratia to the kin of the deceased persons as per the norms and provide relief to those whose houses had been damaged.

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