50 people die due to rains in Telangana, KCR asks officials to begin relief measures on war footing

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 16 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the officials concerned to take up relief measures on a war footing to the people who are facing trouble due to heavy rains and flash floods.

Due to heavy rains and flash floods all over the state 50 people died, the officials informed. Telangana Chief Minister said that in the submerged areas, Rice, pulses, and other essential commodities, food, and three Quilts per house should be distributed from the government side, according to Telangana Chief Minister’s Office.

Rao also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 5 crore to the GHMC for the relief works under the Hyderabad city limits. He also announced that it was decided to pay Rs 5 Lakh as compensation each to the members of the deceased families.

He said for those whose houses were completely destroyed, new houses would be built and for those partially damaged financial assistance would be given for the repairs. The CM clarified that those houses which were built on Nalas (Drains) were washed away in floodwaters and the new houses would be built on a government land.

Rao instructed that water should be drained out of the low-lying areas and cellars of the apartments on a war footing and power supply should be restored. The CM was very particular that power supply should not be given where there is still water in the low-lying areas and in the cellars as it would be dangerous. Even if it means inconvenience for a day or two, power supply should be restored only after draining the water. He urged people to cooperate in this matter.

He observed that if the flood situation in Hyderabad examined, it showed that the colonies built within the FTL limits were flooded. People are facing problems due to water entering the Cellars of their apartments. Adequate measures should have taken while constructing the apartment to ensure that water did not stagnate in the cellars.

Rao instructed that henceforth while giving permissions to apartments, there should be a regulation that measures should be put in place to prevent water stagnation in the cellars. The CM suggested the use of Metro Water Works and Fire Services help to drain the water out. The CM also instructed the Electricity department officials to make plans to remove the high-tension cables over the houses as they may prove to be dangerous.

The CM held a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Thursday on the situation arised due to heavy rains and floods in the State. The CM reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures taken so far. The CM instructed on the measures to be taken in the days to come. Since Hyderabad had the major impact, a special discussion took place on restoring normalcy in GHMC and several decisions were arrived at.

As per the statement, Ministers KT Rama Rao, Niranjan Reddy, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Srinivas Yadav, Mahmood Ali, Rythu Bandhu State President Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Government’s Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Genco CMD Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao, SPDCL CMD Raghuma Reddy, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) B Janardhan Reddy, Principal Secretary (Municipal) Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary (R&B) Sunil Sharma, Principal Secretary (Finance) Ramakrishna Rao, Secretary (Disaster management) Rahul Bojja, GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar, MNUD Commissioner Satyanarayana Reddy, Hyderabad Collector Shwetha Mohanty, Water Resources Department E-in-C Muralidhar Rao, Principal Secretary to CM S Narsing Rao, Secretary to CM Smita Sabharwal and others participated.

The officials explained the losses suffered in their department’s jurisdiction due to heavy rains and floods–Due to heavy rains and flash floods all over the state, 50 people died among them 11 in Hyderabad. Crops in 7.35 Lakh acres in the State were submerged. Even if there is 50 per cent of damage to crops, the loss would be the tune of Rs 2000 Crore.

Under GHMC limits for the first time after 1916, 31 cms of rain was recorded in one day. As a result of this several places in GHMC were submerged in water. Especially those colonies, which were, constructed within the Tanks FTL limits. Since water reached the cellar areas of the apartments, people faced problems.

In Hyderabad, 20,540 houses in 144 colonies at 72 places were trapped with the floodwater. 35,000 families were affected. Flood affect was more in LB Nagar, Charminar, Secunderabad and Khairatabad Zones. In Hyderabad, 14 houses were totally damaged and 65 houses partially.

GHMC and NDRF teams are doing the relief operations. BT roads in 445 places and National Highways at 6 places were damaged. Roads restoration was going on at all these places. In Hyderabad 72 rehabilitation Centres were opened where temporary shelter was given to people along with food. Since water inundated the homes, daily meal is served to 1.10 lakh people.

Along with the GHMC, rains and foods have adversely affected 30 towns. 238 colonies were flooded. Roads were damaged at 150 places. Floodwater entered 9 sub stations under Transco limits, 15 Sub Stations under SPDCL and 2 under NPDCL limits. Water was drained out at all the places on war footing. The work is going at some other places. Wherever the water is drained, power supply was resorted. Power was restored at the places where trees and branches fell. At several places especially on the banks of Musi River transformers and electric poles were washed away. The primary estimates suggest that the Electricity department has suffered a loss of Rs 5 Crore.

All over the state, 101 Tanks were breached. 26 Tank bunds were damaged, It is estimated the loss for the water resource department was Rs 50 Crore. Panchayat roads were damaged at 475 places, roads breached at 269 places and the loss is estimated at Rs 295 Crore.

R&B roads were damaged at 113 places. The loss was Rs 184 Crore under R&B limits and Rs 11 Crore under National Highway Authority limits.

The Chief Minister declared that as per the primary estimates, the state suffered Rs 5000 crore loss due to heavy rains and flash floods.

He urged the centre to release immediately Rs 1350 Crore for relief measures. In this regard, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi. To extend relief to farmers Rs 600 Crore and to take up relief and rehabilitation measures in GHMC and others areas, Rs 750 an additional assistance, the Chief Minister said. (ANI)