On Saturday, 17th August 2019, the severe floods in Krishna river killed two persons, affected about 90 villages and be flooded various habitations in Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The water entered the villages on the banks of the swollen river following the heavy discharge of floodwater from the upstream reservoirs of Krishna basin.
Two deaths were reported due to floods. On Saturday, the Personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) recovered the body of an 11-year-old girl who drowned in the swollen river in Krishna district on Friday, after a boat overturned in Lakshmaiah Vagu, a stream that joins Krishna river at Chevitikallu village. The details of the second flood victim are awaited.
Some habitations in and around Vijayawada and the capital city region of Amaravati were also affected as the second level of warning continued at Prakasam Barrage across Krishna river.
Transportation between Vijayawada and Amaravati was stopped as the barrage which connects them was closed for traffic due to the increase in the water level.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), over 17,000 people in 34 villages of Krishna and 53 villages of Guntur district were affected by the floods. 160 houses were damaged while 4,352 houses were marooned.
Over 230 personnel of NDRF, state fire services department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were engaged in rescue and relief operations in the affected villages. More than 15 boats were deployed for the operations.
Officials said that 8,100 people were evacuated and shifted to 41 relief camps in Krishna district while 3,453 people were shifted to 15 relief camps in Guntur district. They are being provided with food and drinking water there.
According to the preliminary report, crops in over 5,511 hectares and horticulture crops in over 2,052 hectares remained submerged in the floods.
Meanwhile, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan made an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas.
