HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday pegged the financial damage caused by the recent heavy rain and floods at `10,320 crore, which is nearly double the initial estimates of Rs 5,438 crore.
Speaking to the members of the Central flood damage assessment team at Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the damage included the destruction of thousands of homes, extensive loss of crops across lakhs of acres, and infrastructure damage with roads, culverts, and lakes washed away in several areas.
The Central team toured flood affected districts of Khammam, Mahbubabad and Suryapet on September 11 and 12, to assess the flood damage.
Revanth Reddy noted that many farmers have suffered irreparable losses due to the deposition of boulders, gravel, and mud in their crop fields. He urged the Centre to provide immediate and unconditional financial assistance to Telangana. He stressed the need for the relaxation of strict rules imposed by the Centre on the utilisation of disaster relief funds, particularly those under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Revanth Reddy expressed concern that despite Telangana having `1,350 crore available in the NDRF, the stringent conditions attached to accessing these funds meant that the state government was unable to utilise even a single rupee from it. He highlighted the inadequacy of compensation rates, stating that if a kilometre of road is damaged, only Rs 1 lakh can be spent on repairs.
The meeting was attended by revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Khammam MP R. Raghuram Reddy, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, Advisor to CM Vem Narender Reddy, and other key officials.
The Chief Minister outlined specific projects that require urgent Central assistance, including the construction of a "retaining wall" in Khammam town to protect against flooding from the Munner River. He explained that the state government is willing to contribute its share of the funding for the project but requires substantial financial support from the Centre.
Revanth Reddy also stressed the need for long-term preventive measures rather than reactive relief efforts following natural disasters. He proposed that the Centre should focus on improving early warning systems for weather events like floods and heatwaves.
He announced that the state plans to train police battalions across different districts to be prepared for future floods and natural calamities. Special training would be provided to 100 selected personnel from each battalion, and the state would seek assistance from the NDRF for the necessary equipment and expertise.
A significant part of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the recent uprooting of nearly 50,000 acres of trees in the Medaram forest area due to the floods. Although the incident occurred in a forested region and did not pose an immediate threat to populated areas, it was highlighted as an unprecedented occurrence in the country.
The Chief Minister requested the Centre to send a team of experts to conduct a scientific study on the causes of the incident and advise on preventive measures to avoid such occurrences in the future.
The Central team, led by NDMA adviser Colonel K.P. Singh, included officials Shantinath Shivappa, Mahesh Kumar, Nayal Kansan, Rakesh Meena, and Shashivardhan Reddy. It will submit its report to the Centre based on their findings.
Revanth Reddy reiterated the urgency of the situation, calling on the central government to release funds promptly to support the ongoing relief efforts and to assist in rebuilding infrastructure.
What the state lost
State government’s report lists the losses sustained during the recent spell of heavy rain and floods
Human loss (33 deaths): Rs 1.40 cr
Roads (R&B and Panchyatraj): Rs 7,693.53 cr
Urban development: Rs 1,216.57 cr
Irrigation: Rs 483 cr
Drinking water supply: Rs 331.37 cr
Agriculture: Rs 231.13 cr
Power: Rs 179.88 cr
Community assets: Rs 70.37 cr
Fisheries: Rs 56.31 cr
School buildings: Rs 27.31 cr
Housing: Rs 25.3cr
Animal Husbandry: Rs 4.35 cr
Total: Rs 10,320.72 cr
