Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the official machinery concerned to be on high alert as the state is experiencing heavy rain fall and floods and take the necessary measures to prevent any loss to property or lives.

He said that there is a forecast of heavy to very heavy rains may continue to lash the state in the next three to four days and hence all the precautionary measures to be put in place. Relief and rescue measures to be taken on a war footing at the required places and the official machinery should work with an aim that not even a single life is lost due to the rain or floods. He wanted setting up the Control Rooms wherever they are necessary and monitor the situation 24-hours. The CM also informed that there was no dearth of funds to undertake relief measures and hence no one should bother about the availability of funds. Funds necessary for the relief and rehabilitation are kept ready. He said reports should be obtained on the situation on a daily basis from villages and urban areas and action should be taken on the basis of the reports.

The CM congratulated the Electricity department for efficiently managing the situation despite the natural calamity, maintaining the power Grid though there was substantial increase in the demand and for ensuring continuous supply of the power. He also congratulated the Municipal Administration Department for ensuing that there was no major damage or inconvenience in Hyderabad and other cities.

The CM held a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Monday on heavy rains, floods in the State and the situation arisen out of the calamity. The CM held the review meeting with senior officials from the Disaster Management, Revenue, Water Resources, Electricity, Municipal, Panchayat Raj, Agriculture, and Road and Buildings. The CM elicited information district wise and made suggestions on the measures to be taken in those areas.  The CM held a special review on the situation prevailing in Warangal urban, Warangal Rural, Karimnagar, Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Peddapalli, Bhoopal Pally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem and other districts where there was heavy rainfall and flash floods.

“Due to the incessant rains for the past four to five days, tanks all over the state are full.  Water is flowing into all the reservoirs. Rivers, canals and rivulets are overflowing. As on date, the situation is under control. But the coming three to four days are crucial. There is a possibility of heavy rains due to the Depression lay centred in North-East Madhya Pradesh, North Chattisgarh, and South East Uttar Pradesh.

Along with this, there is a possibility of a depression lay centred in the north Bay of Bengal on Aug 19. Moreover, there is a heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Rivers Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Pranahita, and Indravathi in the upper states. Due to all these factors, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rains and major floods. Hence, the entire official machinery should be on high alert, assess the situation that develops in the coming days and make arrangements accordingly,” the CM explained.

“All the tanks are full in the State and they are brimming with water. Since under Mission Kakatiya programmes, all the tanks are revived, they have strong bunds. In the past, whenever heavy rain occurred like this, thousands of tanks used to breach.  But due to Mission Kakatiya, the storage capacity of tanks increased.  Bunds were strengthened. Only a few and small size tanks under Mission Kakatiya programme have suffered loss. But in the coming days, due to heavy rains, the floodwater may reach the tanks.  Hence, be on alert. Monitor each tank continuously, “ the CM instructed.

The points mentioned by CM at the meeting:

 The government’s aim is that however massive may be the calamity, there should not be any loss to life. We can overcome and mange other loses but we cannot get back lives. Hence, the official machinery should understand that saving lives is the top most on the agenda. Work accordingly. People should also be careful, as weather is not favourable. They should alert the officials, whenever they have a small problem; they’re in danger of flooded with water. They should not stay in the dilapidated houses, which can fall. At causeways, floodwater is coming on to the roads. Accidents may occur on these roads. Hence, people should not go against the water flow and get into dangerous situation.

• Heavy floods may occur in Godavari River. Hence identify the low-lying villages and areas in Eturu Nagaram, Mangampet Mandals along with other areas. Shift people from these areas to safer places.
• If Godavari gets floodwater, Bhadrachalam town may face problems. Take measures that water is no stagnated in the town. Officials should be on high alert here.
• Set up special relief camps all over the State in the areas where there is danger from the floodwaters. Make arrangements for the supply of food, shelter in these camps. Supply Masks and sanitizers to prevent people from Covid.
• Ministers, Public Representatives should stay wherever they are and monitor the relief measures.
• Agriculture officials should prepare estimates about the crops damage due to rain and floods.
• Panchayat Raj and Municipal Administration departments should obtain daily reports from the villages and urban areas on the prevailing situation. Those reports, through Collector and Secretaries should reach the Chief Secretary. Based on the reports, necessary action should be taken. There should not be any laxity in relief and rehabilitation work.
• While continuing the measures to combat the situation now, officials should prepare a permanent strategy to face such calamities in the future. Prepare estimates on how much rain causes what quantum of water and where? How much flood a river gets? In such a situation what are the regions that would get submerged? In such a situation what measures to be taken? How to protect the low-lying areas so that there will not face any problem in the event of any amount of rain fall?
• What are the places where roads are inundated? Identify the places where water flows over the causeways. Such issues should be studied thoroughly and prepare a proper strategy. Set up special Task Force Teams with police and Municipal Personnel. They should be kept ready that in the event of any calamity they will plunge into action.
• Prepare Flood Track Sheet at every river. Estimates the developments where there is increase in flow of water in a river. Prepare a track record on what happened when the river was in flood. Based on this, prepare a future strategy.
• Under united AP, Flood Manuals were prepared based on the experiences and situation of the Andhra region. Land and strategies were made based on this. They never bothered about the Telangana region. They have not taken into consideration, even if the Telangana region experiences heavy rain and floods and calamities. We have to prepare these manuals based on the situation in Telangana now after formation of the Telangana state. This should be done on a permanent basis. Flood Management of Telangana policy should be prepared.
• The Medical and Health department should be on alert about the seasonal contagious diseases and others that break out during the rainy season. Create awareness among the people. Medical and health staff at the field level should be on alert. Keep all the medicines ready in al the government hospitals. Prepare a permanent plan for the rainy season every year and implement it.
• Control Rooms in the state capital and in the entire district headquarters should work 24 hours. Attend to each and every phone call and extend help. Important representatives of the Police, Water Resources Department, Electricity, and Revenue departments should be deputed to the Control Rooms.

Ministers  Mohammed Ali, KT Rama Rao, Niranjan Reddy,  Etela Rajender,  Jagdeesh Reddy,  Vemula Prashanth Reddy,  T Srinivas Yadav, Government’s Chief Advisor  Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary  Somesh Kumar, Transco, Genco CMD  Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao, CM Principal secretary S Narsing Rao, Secretaries  Bhoopal Reddy, Ms Smita Sabharwal, CM OSD Sridhar Deshpande, DGP Mahender Reddy, Rythu Samithi State President  Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Legislative Assembly Secretary Narasimhacharyulu, GAD secretary Vikas Raj, Principal Secretary (MA)  Arvind Kumar, Principal secretary (Agriculture) Janardhan Reddy, Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Water Resources Principal secretary  Rajat Kumar, Panchayat raj Commissioner Raghunandan Rao, MUAD Commissioner  Satyanarayana Reddy, Secretary Disaster Management  Rahul Bojja, Principal Secretary (Transport)  Sunil Sharma, Hyderabad Collector Swetha Mohanty, GHMC Commissioner  Lokesh, TSSPDCL CMD Raghuma Reddy, E-in-C Sri Muralidhar Rao attended.