A.P. fit case for more aid: Nitish

By Our Special Correspondent.

HYDERABAD, AUG. 26. The Andhra Pradesh Government stepped up its relief and rehabilitation efforts following a let up in the rains in the State for the last two days, but the day in Hyderabad was marked by breaches to the small tanks resulting in flooding of some residential localities, and rumours that created temporary panic below the Hussainsagar lake. About 200 policemen helped to fill up the breach to the Fox Sagar Tank near Jeedimetla while 200 Army personnel assisted in plugging the breach to the Highway to Nagpur near Bowenpalli.

The Union Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Nitish Kumar, who led a Central team which visited some of the affected areas near Bapatla, Nandyal and in Hyderabad, told presspersons that the situation was ``a fit case for special assistance and relief would be substantial,'' but he did not indicate the figure. The State Government has sought a relief of Rs. 300 crores. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, who presented a memorandum to the Central team, however put the loss at Rs. 775 crores.

There has been extensive damage to standing crops in Guntur and Kurnool districts because of a heavy precipitation. While Hyderabad received 316 mm of rainfall in three days from Tuesday last, Prakasam and Ranga Reddy districts had 185 mm each, Guntur 170 mm, Kurnool and Medak about 145 mm each. The death toll in the floods was 131. In a statement in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said standing crop in about 1,78,000 hectares was damaged, that 2,886 villages were affected and 98,000 people evacuated. About 1,570 minor irrigation tanks have breached.

Meanwhile, the Congress (I) MLAs who are on a fast since August 18, have decided to continue their agitation till the hike in power tariff is rolled back. The Leader of the Congress (I) Legislature Party, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said the fast in no way hindered the relief measures. The Chief Minister made a statement in the Assembly appealing to the MLAs to call off their agitation in view of the extraordinary situation. The fasting MLAs however rejected the appeal.

The Chief Minister visited the affected localities in the capital today He is impatient that despite the best efforts of the officials, water is still stagnating in several apartment complexes and housing colonies. To the Congress (I) charge that the Government was to be blamed for ``encroaching'' upon open land in the path of streams draining into the Hussainsagar, the ruling Telugu Desam leaders replied that it was the Congress (I) Government headed by Mr. K. Vijayabhaskara Reddy which started the work on Necklace Road and which gave permission for a star hotel to come up below the Tank Bund.

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