After flood,epidemic fear

The Andhra Pradesh government faces its toughest task yet since the floods as it grapples with threats of outbreak of post-flood epidemics.

The Andhra Pradesh government faces its toughest task yet since the floods as it grapples with threats of outbreak of post-flood epidemics. Krishna,Kurnool,Guntur,Kadapa and Mahabubnagar districts,which were ravaged by the floods and remained underwater for six days,now face the possibility of the outbreak of cholera,malaria,diarrhoea and even plague is being feared.

The situation has improved in the worst-hit Krishna district where flood waters have receded,giving an opening to relief and rescue teams and health workers to reach out to the marooned villages. Still,more than 200 villages remain cut-off and food and medicines are being air-dropped by IAF choppers. The state has decided not to provide cooked food packets in areas where people can cook if they are provided rations. Several people fell ill after eating stale food distributed in Kurnool district on Tuesday. Drinking water supply has also not been restored as pipelines are clogged with silt and debris.

The South Central Railway has cancelled all train services between Repalle and Tenali because of the flood,officials said.

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The toll in Andhra Pradesh stands at 63 and water is receding fast. Since the outflow at Prakasam barrage at Vijayawada is now 7.8 lakh cusecs against 10.7 lakh cusecs yesterday,there is a definite improvement, Relief Commissioner Dinesh Kumar said.

In Krishna and Kurnool districts,thousands of animal carcasses,rotting debris and silt have accumulated on the roads. Without enough workers and machines to clear them,they have been lying there since the floods ravaged the area on October 2. Revenue,Relief and Rehabilitation Minister D Prasada Rao said though flood water had receded considerably,573 villages in the five flood-hit districts still remained inundated.

The Centre has released Rs 209.1 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund to flood-hit Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to tackle the situation.

In Karnataka,the floods have left a trail of destruction with the death toll mounting to 206,officials said in Bangalore.

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Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa sought President Pratibha Patils intervention to impress upon the Centre the need to release funds for the state to tide over the crisis and carry out reconstruction.

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