Andhra floods: 46 lives lost, Rs 6,054 Cr losses incurred in 2021
Rayalaseema, which was prone to drought due to dry weather conditions, has been the worst-affected region in 2021 with heavy flash floods wreaking havoc in November.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 16 Dec 2021 4:17 AM GMT
Vijayawada: Heavy rains and floods have claimed the lives of 46 people in various parts of Andhra Pradesh from July to November 2021. The adverse weather systems damaged about 7,700 houses and resulted in the death of 5,660 livestock, as per the data submitted to Parliament.
The data also revealed that various crops including paddy, vegetables, fruits, cotton spread over about 5.2 lakh hectares of land were also damaged.
The IMD said over four to five cyclones have crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast or affected the state this year. These include `Gulab' and `Jowad'.
It may be recalled that Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of 974 kilometers and is prone to cyclonic storms. Generally, the coastal districts bear the brunt of these weather systems. However, the story was different this year.
Rayalaseema, which was prone to drought due to dry weather conditions, has been the worst-affected region in 2021 with heavy flash floods wreaking havoc in November. The depression formed in the Bay of Bengal triggered the unprecedented rainfall in the third week of November in Rayalaseema and Nellore.
Rayalaseema districts received 11.1 cm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 3.2 cm with a 250% deviation between November 13 and 20.
Peddamandyam Mandal in Chittoor district received record rainfall of 20 cm on November 19, followed by Galiveedu in Kadapa (19.3 cm) and Nallacheruvu in Anantapur (17.8 cm).
Heavy rains inundated the low-lying areas in Tirupati, Nellore, Madanapalli, Rajampet, etc. The inundation in the affected districts was so much that 17 national/state disaster response force teams and two helicopters had to be deployed for undertaking search and rescue operations.
Despite these efforts, about 40 people lost their lives in the floods. Torrential rains damaged thousands of kilometers of roads in the region. The power distribution system was badly hit.
Losses due to floods and heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh in 2021:
Human lives lost: 46
Livestock lost: 5,660
Houses damaged: 7,720
Crop area affected: 5.29 lakh hectares
Roads sprawling 4,000 kilometers were damaged
AP government estimates put the damages at Rs 6,054 crore
