Hyderabad: The Jal cyclone that weakened and drifted towards Chennai Sunday night claimed 11 lives in Andhra Pradesh in different incidents.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah said the heavy rains caused
by the cyclonic storm have left some destruction in the south
coastal districts.
"In all, 11 people lost their lives because of the
heavy rains in the last 24 hours," he told reporters after a
high-level review meeting.
Heavy rains are expected in the coastal districts till
tomorrow and the administration has already taken necessary
steps to mitigate the damage, Rosaiah said.
He informed that the Prime Minister`s Office too was
constantly monitoring the situation caused by Jal.
"The PMO has been in regular touch with the state
government and obtained updates on the cyclonic storm despite
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s pre-occupation with the
visiting US President Barack Obama. It shows the concern of
the Prime Minister towards the state," he pointed out.
Rosaiah said officials of different departments have
been asked to enumerate losses caused to public property,
roads, houses and crops once water receded.
"We have already sent preliminary reports to the
Centre on the extent of loss caused by heavy rains. We shall
send a detailed report by November 20," he said.
Replying to a question, Rosaiah agreed that the
cyclone relief centres in coastal districts were in bad shape.
"The problem is with the maintenance of these centres.
We have asked the respective village panchayats and the local
people to take care of the maintenance but they are reluctant,
leaving the responsibility on the state government. It is
practically not possible for us to maintain these cyclone
relief centres. Thus, they are left in a bad shape," he
pointed out.
Rosaiah said the Centre was ready to sanction more
number of cyclone relief centres in the coastal districts.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said
that over 23,000 people who were evacuated from their villages
were still lodged in 103 relief camps in Sri Potti Sriramulu
Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari
districts. In all 59 mandals in six coastal districts and
Chittoor in Rayalaseema were affected by Jal.
The state received an average of 19.9 mm rainfall
under the impact of Jal cyclone.
Interestingly, the normally dry Anantapur district in
Rayalaseema received the maximum of 47.7 mm rainfall up to 10
am today followed by 44.7 mm in Visakhapatnam, 42.5 in
Chittoor, 42.2 mm in Kadapa, 40.2 mm in SPS Nellore and 27.7
mm in Prakasam.
The state government has put off the district
collectors` conference, scheduled to be held here on November
11 and 12, to November 26 and 27 in view of the cyclone, Rao
said.
PTI
