Hyderabad: A six-member Central team, led by Col. K.P. Singh, arrived in Telangana on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by heavy rains and floods that impacted several districts between August 31 and September 3.
The team met state government officials, including Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, who briefed them on the extent of the damage and the state’s response to the disaster. The state government estimated the total damage at Rs 5,438 crore, though the full assessment is still on.
During the meeting held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Secretary highlighted the significant damage across the state due to unprecedented rainfall. She emphasised that although the weather alert was received with short notice, the state administration acted swiftly to minimise the loss of life.
Santhi Kumari urged the Central team to consider relaxing guidelines to enable the state government to extend more comprehensive relief to those affected. She also noted that the state plans to create specialised rescue teams, similar to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and requested the support of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for training and logistical support.
The Chief Secretary raised concerns about the challenges of air rescue operations during heavy rains, seeking Central assistance in addressing this issue.
One of the significant concerns raised was the ecological disaster in the Eturnagaram region, where 332 hectares of forest were devastated due to massive tree felling, which was unprecedented in the area. The Central team recommended conducting a detailed study to determine the root cause of this ecological damage.
Special Chief Secretary for Disaster Management Arvind Kumar provided an overview of the damages and the relief measures taken by the state government. He estimated the total damage at Rs 5,438 crores, though the full assessment is ongoing. Officials from various departments, including agriculture, roads and buildings, and municipal administration, presented their assessments of the damage through a presentation.
According to preliminary estimates, 358 villages were affected, with 1.97 lakh people impacted and 33 lives lost. Over 4,200 pucca houses were fully or partially damaged, in addition to 3,200 huts and other houses. Additionally, approximately 11,000 cattle were washed away in the floods.
