Sonia promises help for flood-hit AP

Hyderabad, Oct 5 :

 The Centre will extend all assistance to flood ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh, stated United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson and AICC president Mrs Sonia Gandhi on Monday. Talking to media persons after conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts, along with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, AICC Andhra Pradesh Affairs Incharge Veerappa Moily, Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief D Srinivas, she said that the Centre would extend all help for taking up relief, rehabilitation and restoration works on war footing in the state.

Sonia Gandhi also urged the Congress leaders and workers to work together in providing succour to the flood victims. She hoped that better conditions will prevail in the state soon. Earlier she enquired Chief Minister K Rosaiah and PCC chief D Srinivas about flood situation in the state.

She advised officials concerned to evacuate people from low-lying areas as heavy discharge of waters from Nagarjunasagar and Prakasam dams are likely to submerge several villages in next 24 hours. She asked the administration to be high alert and strengthen the bunds of tanks to prevent flood damage.

The Congress president had landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad in the morning and immediately left for the flood-hit areas. The party's central leadership had directed state ministers, legislators and MPs not to come to the airport to welcome her. The worst floods in the Krishna river in 100 years have caused widespread devastation in five districts of the state, killing 37 people, rendering over 400,000 homeless and damaging crops over thousands of acres.