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Godavari continues to rise dangerously

The waters of the swollen Godavari river in the flood-hit Andhra Pradesh were rising dangerously Wednesday, but rescue officials said they were fully prepared for any breach.

"The situation along the Godavari is still alarming," said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. "We have taken all necessary precautions, but we still have to watch the situation carefully over the next two days," he added.

The worst floods to hit the state in nearly 50 years have claimed 152 lives in the past 10 days, and officials feared the toll would rise dramatically as the Godavari, in northern Andhra Pradesh, threatened to burst its banks.

However, the breathing space provided by lighter-than-expected rainfall on Tuesday allowed rescuers to evacuate people from low-lying areas near the river.

Over 30,000 people across five districts have been evacuated to safer places, mainly by Indian Air Force helicopters and army vessels.

Two helicopters are still on alert.

Andhra Pradesh has already received 50 per cent more rain than is normal and the met office has warned of more rains.

The floods have affected 3,090 villages and towns and submerged 177,987 hectares (439,627 acres) of farmland. The damage so far has been estimated at around Rs 7.7 billion ($ 177 million).

AFP

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