Chief minister Kiran Kumar has convened a high level meeting with officials for reviewing the situation in coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh in the wake of heavy floods, which were caused due to Neelam cyclone. Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, Erasu, Raghuveera Reddy and a few more attended this meeting. This report would be handed over to the centre, said sources. After completion of the meeting, minister Raghuveera Reddy has said that hundreds of acres of crop land got inundated, over 1200 houses were complete submerged. Further, he has also said that floods so far claimed 25 lives.

While opposition parties are lashing out at the state government alleging that government paid deaf ear towards cyclone alerts, the sources close to AICC said that AICC supremo Sonia Gandhi was planning for a change in the chief minister. They have also said that D Srinivas is most likely to replace Kiran Kumar.

Effect of Cyclone:

While colonies in Vizag and Vizianagaram are still submerged, cyclone is also resulting in cancellation of trains. Garib Rath train from Secunderabad to Vishakapatnam and Duronto Express to the same place got cancelled. In Vizianagaram, the central bus stand became like an island inaccessible to the public. Hundreds of villages in these districts are facing problems due to uninterrupted power cuts. Landslides occurred in S Kota, which blocked the reportedly blocked rail route between Vizag and Araku.

The sources said that ministers are likely to conduct an aerial survey while opposition parties in the state demanded that prime minister should tour the flood hit areas of Andhra Pradesh.

(Source: J News)

(AW Phani)