AP speeds up rescue, relief measures following heavy rains in state

Hyderabad, Nov 17: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today said that rescue and relief measures are being speeded up following the death of six people in heavy rains that continue to lash three districts of the state. Rains also damaged crops spread across thousands of acres. For the second day on Tuesday, Chittoor, Nellore and Kadapa districts received heavy rains inundating dozens of villages and disrupting road and rail transport. Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation with top officials in Vijayawada. Speaking to media after the review meeting, Chandrababu announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to each of the family members of the dead. He said officials are setting up shelters for the victims of heavy rains in the state. He said the officials are setting up 57 shelters in Nellore and 37 in Chittoor. Stating that some locations received 30 cm of rainfall, the chief minister announced that over 427 km of highways got damaged across the state.