Flood threat to delta; rivers in spate
 

HYDERABAD Friday (The Hindu, BBC)

Although there was respite from the heavy rain, except in the North Coastal Andhra districts, the threat of floods in the delta did not recede as the Godavari and Krishna and their tributaries remained in spate on Thursday.

Konaseema in East Godavari district and Diviseema in Krishna were bracing for further floods due to heavy rains in the Godavari’s catchment in Maharashtra and flash floods in its tributaries.

Similarly, the release of a huge quantity of water from the Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada following heavy discharges from its intermittent catchment continues to compound the misery of people in Diviseema.

The flood toll rose to 75.

The railway track on the Nidadavole-Tadepalligudem section breached at five to six points resulting in cancellation of several passenger and express trains on the route. The Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) also suspended bus services between Nidadavole and Tadepalligudem.

Meanwhile hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen in the Bay of Bengal are still missing after heavy storms hit the region.

Meanwhile, Indian fishermen from the eastern state of Orissa rescued 13 Bangladeshis who they found floating on slabs of wood, police said.

And a fresh alert has been sounded in parts of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh after heavy rains in neighbouring Maharashtra state.

As many as 150,000 people are taking shelter in relief camps in the state.

Bangladeshi fishing trawlers with fishermen on board are returning to shore, after the weekend storms.

But a spokesman for the Fishing Boats Owners’ Association, Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, said they have no news of around 90 boats containing several hundred fishermen. One fishermen who survived the storm, Idris Ali, told a grim story when he returned to shore in the Barguna district of Bangladesh .

“I was lucky to come back,” he told reporters.

“While returning to shore I saw several wrecked boats and bodies floating on the rough sea.”