With the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Hyderabad issuing a thunderstorm alert in the city, the heads of several departments in the Telangana government held a convergence meeting on Saturday.
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate and headed by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Dr B Janardhan Reddy.
The GHMC Commissioner stressed the need for proper coordination between all the departments to tackle emergency situations which might arise during the heavy rains that are expected to lash the city.
He also said that the GHMC was planning to take up the planting of 40 lakh saplings under the state government’s Haritha Haram programme, out of which 35 lakh saplings will be supplied to the citizens free of cost.
“Though the digging of roads has been banned by the GHMC due to the monsoon, the municipal body has been taking up work in some places, with all precautionary measures in place, without giving any problems to the citizens,” the GHMC said in a press release.
The Electrical Department, which was taking up the pruning of trees, was reportedly throwing cut branches on roads causing inconvenience to passers-by. The GHMC Commissioner asked the department to come up with an action plan to sort out the issue.
“A lot of problems are being faced due to the dumping of construction debris and waste materials on the roads, we will identify those who do so and punish them by imposing huge penalties,” the GHMC said.
The GHMC also said that it had identified some of the damaged roads and repairs were being taken up before the rains for the convenience of the citizens.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner Vishwanath Sajjanar said that while permissions are being granted for the construction of multi-storied buildings, certain instructions must be given to the builder to
install CCTV cameras at the site.
Last month, stating that it has deployed teams ready to tackle waterlogging, inundation and other problems that low-lying areas could face this monsoon, the GHMC had also said that several enforcement drives were conducted to remove encroachments on drains.
The GHMC has also deployed teams with all necessary equipment for road repairs and for dewatering low-lying areas with pump sets if there is waterlogging.