The Centre on Monday rushed more than 250 specially trained NDRF personnel alongwith additional 80 inflatable boats to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as the death toll due to torrential rains and rampaging floods in the two states soared to 205.
In view of the grim situation of the floods,
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will also undertake an aerial survey of the two states tomorrow for an assessment of the damage caused by the natural disaster.
Chidamabaram, who is currently in Tamil Nadu, is also expected to hold meetings with the Chief Ministers of both the states -– B S Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and K Rosaiah (Andhra Pradesh) -- and other top officials in Bangalore and Hyderabad, official sources here said.
Monitoring the overall situation from the national capital, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai, Secretary (Border Management) Vinay Kumar and senior officers of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are in constant touch with the state agencies, sources said.
According to officials, the Army, Navy and Air Force are also assisting in relief and rescue operations and undertaking distribution of food, drinking water etc in the affected areas.
NDRF personnel along with boats are being dispatched to the affected areas from Bathinda (Punjab), Noida, Pune, Arakkonam(Tamil Nadu) and Mundali (Orissa), they said.