At least seven persons are feared dead in separate incidents in Telangana due to the floods. On Monday, a dinghy carrying 13 persons overturned in Krishna river in which three women and a girl went missing. The incident took place near Dattatreya temple in Narayanpet district. The victims have been identified as Sumalatha, her daughter Roja, Parvathama and Narasamma. The victims had crossed the river and come to Telangana to buy essential commodities, reported The New Indian Express.
The Times of India reported that the victims were natives of Peddakurmam village in Raichur, Karnataka. While nine other passengers were saved from the other dinghy, the four persons unfortunately got washed away in the strong current of the water.
In another incident, two minor girls-- Lavanya (13) and Anjali (12)-- from Rajanna Sircilla district, drowned in the overflowing Yellampalli canal. The victims were from Sangula village in Chandurthi mandal, according to reports.
In another tragedy, a man travelling with his friends in his sports utility vehicle, got washed away in Siddipet district. The victim has been identified as Jangampalli Srinivas. The incident took place in Durgapally, Naganoor mandal. While his three friends swam to safety, Srinivas is yet to be traced.
Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reviewed the rain and flood situation in the state on Monday and directed officials to undertake rescue and relief operations on a war footing, wherever necessary.
He directed the official machinery to be on high alert as the state was experiencing heavy rainfall and floods, and take the necessary measures to prevent any loss to property or lives.
As heavy to very heavy rains may continue to lash the state in the next three to four days, all the precautionary measures should be put in place, he said, asking officials to set up control rooms wherever necessary and monitor the situation round the clock.
The Chief Minister also made it clear that there was no dearth of funds to undertake relief measures.
He said reports should be obtained on a daily basis from villages and urban areas and action should be taken on that basis.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, elicited district wise information and made suggestions on the measures to be taken in these areas.
He 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.
Flood water in warangal of Telangana - drones captured @MC_GWMC @cpwrlc pic.twitter.com/v1rV19by4N
— Lokesh journo (@Lokeshpaila) August 17, 2020
River #Godavari and it's tributary Maner river in spate triggering a severe flood alert. According to the central water commission by tonight, Godavari River is expected to rise by 91 cm. IMD has predicted heavy to very rain at isolated places of #Telangana. #Flood pic.twitter.com/6WAm3FrVHY
— Aashish (@Ashi_IndiaToday) August 16, 2020
The Chief Minister said that floods may occur in Godavari river and asked officials to identify the low-lying villages and shift people from these areas to safer places.
As heavy rain inundated Warangal, KCR asked ministers, KT Rama Rao and Etela Rajender to rush there on Tuesday along with two other ministers, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Satyavathi Rathod, to visit the affected areas.
IANS inputs