CM To Conduct Aerial Survey In Flood-Hit Warangal

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will today conduct an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged Warangal district and Husnabad Assembly constituency.

The CM will inspect the areas damaged by heavy rains, and the withered crops.

He was earlier scheduled to conduct the survey on Thursday but cancelled it at the last minute as officials warned him of inclement weather conditions unsuitable for helicopter travel.

The CM held a video conference today with Collectors and senior officials of the cyclone-affected districts following extensive flood damage. Ministers and Collectors briefed the CM on the damage to paddy and cotton crops. Preliminary reports indicated extensive flood damage in the erstwhile Warangal and Nalgonda districts and in the Husnabad Assembly constituency, they said.

The CM then directed the Collectors and senior officials to take up relief measures on a war footing in the affected areas. Officials were instructed to ensure that there was no loss of life or livestock in the flood-affected areas. Shifting people from flood-prone areas and providing them with rehabilitation should be given top priority, the CM said.

Given the severe impact of the cyclone in Warangal, Revanth Reddy said that relief operations needed to be intensified there. He also instructed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to utilise the police services and, if necessary, deploy HYDRAA teams from Hyderabad with the required equipment. Adequate boats should be dispatched for immediate relief operations in Warangal, and SDRF personnel from various districts should be moved to the flood-hit regions, he said.

Officials were instructed to set up nine relief camps and evacuate around 2,000 people to safer locations in the district. Drinking water and food packets should be supplied to families stranded on rooftops and in flooded houses, he said.

The CM also directed officials to establish a toll-free help desk at the Collectorate to monitor the situation round the clock.

He also ordered that HYDRAA teams and flood-relief equipment be deployed for rescue operations in other affected areas.

Expressing serious concern over the plight of the flood-affected farmers during the harvest season, Reddy said that the government had set a target of procuring 80 lakh metric tons of paddy, and instructed the Civil Supplies Department to take necessary measures accordingly.

In view of reports that paddy stocks were soaked or washed away in some IKP centres, the Chief Minister directed the relevant Collectors to immediately shift the paddy to nearby godowns and mills. Where such facilities are unavailable, the stocks should be stored in nearby function halls, he said. He also instructed the Collectors to appoint an in-charge officer for each procurement centre, and warned of strict action against negligent officials.

Revanth Reddy also directed Collectors to collect daily reports from each IKP centre, and take prompt action against officers failing to submit them. All official leaves should be cancelled to ensure every officer conducted field visits and remained accessible to the public, he said.

The Chief Minister also directed the district in-charge ministers to review relief measures, road and highway restoration, and paddy procurement regularly. All ministers should remain in their respective districts and periodically review relief efforts in the flood-affected regions, he said.

Alerting officials that the Meteorological Department had warned of cyclone impact in 16 districts, Revanth Reddy said that the energy department should be ready to restore power supply immediately in all the flood-hit areas.

Officials were also directed to install danger warning boards in areas where floodwater was flowing on roads and highways. "The police must enforce prohibitory orders to prevent vehicles from entering such areas. The local CI and revenue officials should erect barricades on both sides of flood-prone stretches, divert traffic from damaged roads, and caution people against venturing out during heavy rains," the CM said.

He also directed the health department to ensure the availability of emergency medical services.

A helpline should also be set up at the State Command Control Centre to respond immediately to rain, flood and disaster situations, he added.