CM Revanth Reddy urges Modi to declare rain fury as national calamity

He directed State Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari to write a letter requesting the Prime Minister to visit the flood hit Telangana which suffered a huge loss of life, crops and property damages. He held a review on floods and relief operations with senior officers at the Central Command Control Office in Hyderabad in the morning.

Revanth Reddy enquired the Meteorological Department (IMD) about the reasons for very heavy rains in a very short time and the rain forecast for today and tomorrow. The IMD briefed him that the State received heavy rains more than expected and it was required to conduct a detailed study to ascertain the reasons for frequent heavy rains in the State.

Earlier, the State witnessed very heavy rains only once in five years or 10 years.The IMD authorities cautioned the possibility of heavy rains in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Nirmal districts today and tomorrow.

Alerted by the weather forecast, he ordered the Collectors of the respective districts, officers and staff of all departments to be on high alert. Specific instructions are issued to shift people residing in the low-lying areas to the relief camps immediately, if required.

The Chief Minister asked the Collectors to set up Control Rooms to receive the complaints round the clock and also monitor water levels in ponds, culverts, low level causeways and other places by deploying the officials of various departments. A weather bulletin will be released every three hours to alert the entire state.

Revanth Reddy announced the ex-gratia of Rs.4 lakh has been increased to Rs.5 lakh to each family of the deceased in the heavy rains and floods. Compensation for each milking cattle loss also increased to Rs.50,000 from Rs.30,000 and for goat and sheep, the government will provide Rs.5,000 compensation as against Rs.3,000.

Revanth Reddy also ordered enumeration of crop loss. Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the preliminary estimations indicated crops were damaged in 1.50 lakh acres. In the wake of reports of crop damages in four lakh acres, he asked the Agriculture department to conduct a field survey and collect the details of the crop loss.

The State gGovernment has released compensation for crop losses in Kamareddy immediately in the previous time, he said instructing the officials to make arrangements on the same lines to disburse the compensation to the flood affected farmers. Arrangements are also being made to visit the Central teams and enumerate crop damages.

The Chief Minister ordered the officials to allot Indiramma houses to those who lost their shelter and directed the Chief Secretary to write a letter requesting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the flood affected areas mainly the damage of railway lines and roads, breach of water bodies and collapse of electricity poles and other property damages in the state.

Revanth Reddy directed the DGP to provide training to one-third of the eight battalions of the young police force on the lines of NDRF. He enquired the officials about the emergency services by the NDRF during heavy rains and floods.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that the deployment of NDRF forces will be done based on the indent and it will also consume time. In a quick response, the Chief Minister ordered to provide training to the young police of the battalions on the lines of NDRF.

When the officials brought the shortage of equipment to the notice, he asked the authorities to purchase them though expensive. Officials informed that such teams have already been formed in Odisha and Gujarat. The Chief Minister suggested that the procedures should be studied and provide training with the experienced officers.

The Chief Minister directed to prepare a manual and conduct rehearsals with the trained staff before every season.

Revanth Reddy ordered the officials that no untoward incident should take place anywhere in Hyderabad and other Municipal Corporations. The officials are advised to be on high alert in the supply of electricity, traffic maintenance, drinking water supply and sanitation.

Police officers have been asked to monitor vehicular traffic closely. Energy officials are instructed to address power outages and supply problems immediately. The civic authorities are advised to shift people living in the low-lying areas to relief camps.