Amaravati: At least 17 people in Andhra Pradesh have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents and subsequent floods, leaving thousands struggling for basic necessities across several districts. The worst-hit areas include Vijayawada, NTR, Guntur, Krishna, Eluru, Palnadu, Bapatla, and Prakasam, where thousands of acres of crops have been submerged.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu described the recent torrential rains and floods as the “biggest disaster” he has encountered in his political career.
“We have faced events like the Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone, but in terms of human suffering and property loss, this is the worst,” he said during a press conference on Monday.
How Drones Are Assisting in Andhra Floods
The state government and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have begun using drones to drop food packets, water bottles, and other essentials to people in flood-affected areas.
Earlier, drones were only used to get an aerial view of disaster-hit areas. But now, they have made the job easier, faster, and more efficient, saving fuel for choppers that were used before in relief and rescue operations.
Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh announced that the state government has, for the first time, deployed drones to deliver relief materials and food to people affected by the floods.
“This has significantly improved the efficiency and speed of our relief operations,” he wrote on X, sharing a video of a drone delivering a food packet.
Mr. Naidu stated that eight to nine drones were deployed on Monday to deliver food packets—including biscuits, fruits, milk, and medicines—to 10,000 people. He assured that up to 35 more drones would be deployed on Tuesday.
In some instances, drones were also used to drop life jackets to individuals stranded in flooded areas. In the Khammam district, a boy was able to escape a flooded area thanks to one of these life jackets.
