Heavy rain damages 613 km of roads across Andhra Pradesh

• Heavy rain linked to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has damaged 613 km of Roads and Buildings Department roads across Andhra Pradesh

• Srikakulam accounts for 356 km of the damage. Rain disrupted traffic at 23 locations

• The state estimates it will need Rs 26.95 crore for temporary repairs and Rs 224.73 crore for permanent restoration

Heavy rain has damaged 613 km of roads across Andhra Pradesh, with Srikakulam district accounting for more than half the affected stretch, roads and buildings minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy said on Thursday.

The figure was based on a department assessment at 7 am. Rain continued in coastal Andhra Pradesh after a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coast late on Wednesday, and the minister directed officials to remain on high alert. The India Meteorological Department had warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

According to the minister, 356 km of roads were damaged in Srikakulam. Damage was also reported in Parvathipuram-Manyam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Ambedkar Konaseema, West Godavari, Anantapur, Kurnool and Nandyal districts.

Roads were washed away at four locations, while drainage structures were damaged at 78 sites. Restoration work had begun at 37 of those sites, Reddy said. Fallen trees had been cleared from roads at 11 locations.

Rain disrupted traffic at 23 locations, of which 14 had been cleared, according to the minister. The department has set up 78 control rooms and appointed nodal officers to coordinate its response.

Reddy said the department had identified 614 vulnerable or accident-prone locations and kept 550 excavators and 596 power saws ready to remove fallen trees, landslide debris and other obstructions. The estimated cost of temporary road repairs is Rs 26.95 crore, with permanent restoration expected to cost Rs 224.73 crore.

With IANS inputs