The death toll in the unabated rain fury in the State stood static at 72 this morning.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu today called a high-level meeting to review the flood situation. The government had decided to carry on the evacuation in view of the unprecedented discharge of around 8.41 lakh cusecs of water from Nagarjunasagar dam into river Krishna.

Naidu is likely to undertake an aerial visit to Vijayawada and other flood-ravaged places to oversee major evacuation drives in these areas.

Meanwhile, the State Government has sought the advice of experts to restore the power generation in Srisailam hydro plant in Kurnool district, which was shut down due to entry of water into its seven units last night.

In Vijaywada, the flood waters have inundated seven divisionsof the city area and about 22 villages in the region. Arrangements were being made to evacuate the people residing in these areas to safer places.

Meanwhile, experts from BHEL and National Hydel Power Corporation have been requested by the State Government to visit the 770 mw Srisailam hydel power generation plant in Kurnool district, which now lay submerged under four to five feet of water due to gushing of waters from overflowing Srisailam reservoir.

With the flood waters entering all the seven power generation units on Wednesday night, work was shut down and experts are likely to inspect the plant and initiate repair work after de-watering the area, official sources said adding the entire plant was cordoned off.

A report from Kurnool said Naidu, accompanied by state electricity board (APSEB) officials, today inspected the power plant and made discreet enquiries about the collapse of the retaining wall around the plant leading to the gushing of flood waters.

Heavy rains in Kurnool district claimed10 lives during the last two days and caused extensive damage to commercial crops like sun flower, cotton and groundnut etc, the reports said.