Vijayawada flood damage assessment to begin today: Andhra Home Minister

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said here on Sunday that the procedure of estimating flood losses in Vijayawada will begin from Monday. Addressing a press conference at the NTR district collectorate, the Home Minister said flood relief work is going on for the eighth day since the floods in the centrally located city. "From tomorrow (Monday), the procedure to start estimating flood losses will begin," said Anitha. Earlier, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the state government sent its first report regarding the floods to the Centre and sought a relief of Rs 6,880 crore, and added that external enumerators are being roped in, who will be provided with training on Sunday.

In flood-hit areas, the CM observed that out of 2 lakh houses, 1.4 lakh were single- floor residences, which suffered extensive damage due to the floods. Naidu said houses, shops and all others will be assessed for damage. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to floods rose to 45 on Sunday morning, said an official press release. Mohammed Ilyas (50) from Ajit Singh Nagar mini stadium area, one of the worst-affected places, who is currently taking refuge at a relative's house in Tadigadapa told PTI that it has been raining continuously in Vijayawada since Saturday night.

Though the 100-metre Budameru breach has been plugged, Ilyas said water is seeping through it and flowing towards Vijayawada, parts of which are still waterlogged. He said the sand and mud between the boulders used to plug the breach was washed away.