Heavy Rains Likely In 5 Days, Telangana On Alert

The Telangana government put the administration on high alert after the India Meteorological Department on Monday released its weather forecast for the week and said that a low pressure trough had formed over the west central region of the Bay Of Bengal and the adjoining coastal areas of south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana can expect heavy rainfall over the next 5 days as a result, the IMD predicted.

According to the department, light to moderate rainfall and thunder showers are likely to occur at many places in the State. It forecast heavy rainfall in the districts of Adilabad, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Warangal.

Upon receiving the information, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao immediately reminded the GHMC officials of the recent rainfall in Hyderabad that had claimed seven lives and damaged infrastructure in the city, and directed them to be on high alert this time.

The CM spoke to secretaries Rajiv Sharma and Pradeep Chandra on Monday on the forecast and disaster-preparedness. He directed them to alert all the concerned officials across the State to take precautionary measures. The CM also spoke to GHMC Commissioner Janardhan Reddy and City Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy and asked them to take adequate steps to prevent a repeat of the August 31 tragedy.

Saying that the government had set up a State-level control room, KCR asked the officials to set up a control room at the Collectorate, too. He also directed the officials to shift people living in low-lying areas to higher lands.

Following the directions of the CM, Revenue Special Principal Secretary Pradeep Chandra spoke to the district Collectors and asked them to convene a District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting immediately with the SPs.

Rajiv Sharma directed the Collectors to identifying low-lying areas and shift people living there to safer places, while Chandra directed them to ensure uninterrupted supply drinking water, power and sanitary management at the relief camps.

Chandra also suggested that the Health and Medical department keep medicines and ambulances prepared for emergencies. He informed the Collectors that the National Disaster Response Force, Army and Air Force services would be prepared to help the government if the situation were to warrant it.

Additionally, Chandra and Sharma directed the irrigation, power and railway departments to do their parts.