Depression weakens, moves into Andhra, 10 killed

The depression, which lay about 100 kms off Ongole in Prakasam district, hit the coast between Ongole and Bapatla, bringing heavy rains in the south coastal belt. Nellore, Prakasam, Chittoor, Srikakulam and Kadapa districts received heavy rainfall ranging from 21 cm to 10 cm.

Forty-six tanks were breached, traffic was paralysed and several trees were uprooted in Nellore, official sources said.

Met office said the depression will degenerate further in the next two days.

Authorities had evacuated about 20,000 people from low-lying areas in Nellore and Prakasam.

Over 12,000 people from low-lying areas of Visakhapatnam were moved to relief camps following inundation due to release of water from Megadigadda reservoir. Another 5,000 were evacuated in Prakasam district.

The state road transport corporation cancelled half of its services in the coastal region and parts of Rayalaseema. The power supply was disrupted at several places. In Nellore and Prakasam, 52 eleven kv power sub-stations were damaged in heavy rains, said chairman and managing director of AP Transmission Corporation, Raechel Chatterjee.

In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Chennai, battered by heavy rains for the past two days, was limping back to normalcy. In contrast to yesterday’s gloomy weather, the residents woke up to bright sunshine.

Though the airport functioned normally, rail services were affected.