11
die as heavy rains hammer Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam:
At least 11 people were killed in Andhra Pradesh, as heavy
rains triggered by a depression in the Bay of Bengal hit the
region. Met officials said heavy rains and winds with speeds
of 50 kilometres per hour were likely to continue in the region
well into Sunday. They said that the low-pressure area was
still persisting and it could bring heavy rainfall in the
next 24 hours. "Under its influence we'll have rainfall at
most places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall
in next 24 hours at a few places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh,"
said S. Subramanium, director, cyclone warning centre, Visakhapatnam.
Eleven more casualties were reported in neighbouring Tamil
Nadu as well.
The
airport at the port city of Visakhapatnam, was closed for
airlines for the second day on Saturday as the tarmac and
the runway remained inundated. Water entered several low-lying
areas even as the overflowing canals deteriorated the sanitary
conditions in the adjoining localities. Several housing colonies
were flooded in the coastal area bringing the normal life
to a sudden halt. Fishermen have also been asked not to venture
out into the open seas, and needless to say, the torrential
rain has certainly scared them. If it had rained for half
an hour more, all our huts would have been washed away. We
were very scared as the sea waves were also very high," said
Suparno, a fisherman. Earlier, last month, more than 75 people
were killed due to electrocution, house collapses and drowning
in Andhra Pradesh following heavy rain and flooding.
After
the south west monsoon of June when areas of Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh do not get the rains because of the western
ghats, this is the time of withdrawing monsoon called north
east monsoons when it also rains heavily for a month from
now in Kerala too. This is also a season for ayurveda and
yoga for tourists when hotels are booked in advance. Because
of tourist rush tour and travel agencies and hotel business
in India have good times for a couple of years.