A five-member inter-ministerial team sent by the Union government to assess the damage that due to heavy rains and floods in Telangana, met with officials of the state government on Thursday. The team, led by Joint Secretary Praveen Vashista, met Chief Secretary (CS) Somesh Kumar at the Secretariat and discussed the flood situation and relief measures in the state.
The Chief Secretary informed the central team about the measures that the state government had taken to minimise loss of lives and property arising out of the recent floods. He also gave a powerpoint presentation besides briefing them about the extent of damage. A photo exhibition was arranged to depict the damage caused by the floods.
Officials of Irrigation, Municipal Administration, Roads & Buildings, Agriculture, Energy, and Panchayat Raj Departments as well as authorities from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) interacted with the team and gave an overview of the loss incurred in the state.
Officials informed that there was excess rainfall during the last 10 days, which has resulted in flooding. The state government has already released Rs 550 crore for immediate flood relief. Though there were rains in the entire state, excessive damage was in and around Hyderabad and its neighbouring districts. Breaches at three major tanks coupled with flooding in Musi river, resulted in inundation of low-level areas.
While the loss to crops is estimated at Rs 8,633 crore, loss to roads is estimated to be around Rs 222 crore. The loss to GHMC is estimated to be at Rs 567 crore. Apart from the Rs 550 crore for immediate flood relief, the state government told the Union government that food packets were supplied to more than two lakh people. One kg of bleaching powder and three lakh chlorine tablets were supplied to affected people.
The Union government’s team, which includes RB Kaul, Consultant, Ministry of Finance, K Manoharan, Director, Department of Agriculture, SK Kushwaha, Senior Engineer, Transport and Highways and M Raghuram, Senior Manager, Ministry of Water Resources, will visit the flood-affected areas to assess the extent of damage to properties and crops.
The team arrived in Hyderabad a week after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao sought Rs 1,350 crore from the Union government, claiming that the state suffered losses to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore. Heavy rains and floods since October 13 have wreaked havoc in various parts of the state, especially Hyderabad, claiming at least 70 lives.
Earlier this week, the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Delhi announced a donation of Rs 15 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively while the Chief Ministers of Odisha and West Bengal have announced a donation of Rs 5 crore and Rs 2 crore, as aid.