HYDERABAD: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday required the state government to file additional reports pertaining to the damage caused by floods in Jayashankai Bhoopalpally district.
The bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar on Tuesday heard at length a public interest litigation filed by Dr Cheruku Sudhakar complaining inaction of the state government in the implementation of provisions of the National Disaster Management Act.
On an earlier occasion, the bench had directed the state government to place the flood victims in some shelters and provide them with necessary basic amenities including flood relief material, and further directed them to file a status report making available the data with regard to the loss of lives on account of floods and measures taken by them to restore essential services.
In the course of the hearing on Tuesday, the bench noticed that the report submitted by the state government was silent on various aspects such as how many houses were destroyed, how many animals died due to floods, and immediate relief granted to victims of the flood.
Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, pointed out that India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning had gone unheeded by the state government. He also complained that the government was yet to announce the managerial steps qua the spread of seasonal diseases during the floods.
The bench considering the submissions directed the government to file a complete status report of inter alia what measures were taken by the government to the warnings of the IMD, steps taken to prevent the spread of diseases, and the steps on tracing the missing persons during the floods.
The bench emphasizing the well-being of flood-affected victims directed the state to ensure they get psychological support by way of counselling and safety as the utmost priority. The bench will hear the matter again on August 4.
