Xinhua, October 3, 2009

With incessant rains lashing southern India, over 130 people have been killed so far in flash floods caused by four days of heavy downpour and storms that wrecked havoc particularly in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, said government officials.

Most victims were either washed away in rivers or died as their homes collapsed, while hundreds are still waiting to be rescued.

As an alert is sounded, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been pressed into action to rescue those still trapped in floods as well as distributing food packets and medical aid in areas cut off by flood waters, with the central government closely monitoring the situation which is going from bad to worse.

"The situation is serious. We have asked for more helicopters from the Indian Air Force to help us," B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the most affected state, told the media.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said the flood situation was grim and army personnel have been deployed for rescue operations.

"Six chopper have been pressed into service to immediately rescue people. While four helicopters are being used to airlift the flood-hit people in Kurnool district, two choppers were deployed in Mahabubnagar district. A helicopter rescued 15 people in the pilgrim town of Mantralayam," a state government official told the media.

Experts have blamed the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal for the deaths and collapse of 22,000 houses in the south Indian states -- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the least affected. They claim that the incessant rains have not only damaged crops but also disrupted communication and transport links in many areas of Karnataka and neighboring Andhra Pradesh.

"India's monsoon season usually brings rains from June and withdraws by the end of September. But, this year some parts of the country were actually drought affected due to inadequate and untimely rainfall. Moreover, the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal did the damage in south India which is battling floods after rivers breached their banks. This is a calamity. The central government is also closely monitoring the situation," said weather analyst Prof D.K. George.

The Indian Meteorological Department has warned of further heavy showers in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh over the next 24 hours, he added.

Meanwhile, Andhra Chief Minister has claimed that the flood situation in Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar districts has improved with water levels receding.

"I have information from Kurnool district that water levels have come down by two-three-feet; people are feeling safe for now in Mahaboobnagar district also as water has come down by a couple of feet," Rosaiah told the media in state capital Hyderabad.

In fact, according to the experts, Andhra's tryst with rains and floods have been continuing for years. Unseasonal heavy rains in March 2008 and consequent floods in 22 districts led to the death of 36 people.

In August 2008 floods affected 15 districts, killing 130 people. Nine people were killed in the cyclone "Nisha" in November 2008.

Summed up another expert, Professor Ajay Singh: "What's more shocking is that the Climate Prediction Centre of the U.S. National Weather Services has put the Bay of Bengal under cyclone watch during October 7 to 12. This means the worse is not over yet. The states should be prepared to face any upcoming calamity. But, India is also developing a disaster management system, better late than never. Once it's in place properly, any calamity could be better managed."