HYDERABAD: Heavy rains lashing Telangana snuffed out three more lives on Monday, taking the death toll to seven, since the weather turned inclement four days back.
A 65-year-old woman, Jayamma, was crushed under the debris of a house that collapsed due to incessant rain at Govindaraopet in Mulug district. She had come to visit her daughter. Two others died of electrocution after live wires turned flooded patches into death-traps. A 36-year-old woman Adilakshmi died after her hands accidentally touched a water motor in Sunnambatii village in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. A similar tragedy occurred in Nizamabad district, where a 45-year-old man, Dubasi Sailu, of Achampet village was electrocuted on a flooded rooftop of his house.
Amidst incessant rains and a red alert in eight districts, the government stopped vehicular traffic between Telangana and Maharashtra with police sealing the inter-state border point of Bodhan in Nizamabad district.
With Godavari rising menacingly, authorities on Monday sounded the third-level warning in Bhadrachalam after water levels touched the danger mark of 53feet.
The district administration swung into action and evacuated people to higher ground. Bhadradri Kothagudem collector Anudeep said, at least 17 areas have been inundated, cutting off highways. "Thirty relief centres have been established in affected areas. Pregnant women have been identified and 32 of them have been shifted to hospitals in advance," he said.
A control room was set up at the collectorate office with a helpline number (087-241950) and WhatsApp number (9392929743). Another control unit has been set up RDO office with helpline number (9392919750) and at the sub collector's office with a SOS number (08743232444). Transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar asked authorities to make necessary medical arrangements and arrange vaccines for snake bite cases.
In Kamareddy, 38km of panchayat roads and 40km of R&B roads were wrecked by rain. Endowments minister A Indrakaran Reddy visited flood-hit areas of Nirmal and surveyed crop loss after Kishanraopet cheruvu breached its banks. After rains recede, an assessment of crop damage would be made and farmers would be compensated, he said. Nirmal had received 21cm rainfall and the situation remains critical.