Hyderabad: Damaged houses, vehicles submerged in slush, flooded streets and one misery piled upon the other welcomed the Inter-Ministerial Central team that reached Hyderabad on Thursday and inspected different rain-affected areas and restoration works in the city.
Constituted by the Union government, the team is here on a two-day tour to assess the damage caused by floods in Telangana. On day one, the team toured flood-affected areas including Falaknuma RoB, Al-Jubail Colony, Ghazi Millat Colony, Kandikal Gate main road, Hafeez Baba Nagar and others.
The inspection began with restoration works at Falaknuma RoB and removal of debris from the nala. The team interacted with the flood-affected residents who told them that floodwater had entered into their houses till the first floor and that the water was yet to recede. Since the houses were submerged in the rainwater for close to 10 days, many residents were worried about the structural stability.
GHMC Commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar said the RoB was built about 40 years ago and was aligned to the inner ring road and Charminar areas. Water from Palle Cheruvu flows under the RoB and with the heavy rains, the lake’s bund breached, resulting in floodwater gushing into Al-Jubail Colony, Ghazi Millat Colony and neighbouring areas.
The team inspected the damage to properties, household commodities and vehicles, besides roads and drains. In the Kandikal Gate area, the team inspected nala restoration works in Phoolbagh and Chandrayangutta and interacted with locals.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who accompanied the team, apprised them of the extent of the damage. “Many houses were damaged badly due to the heavy rains, and the Central government should extend all help and release funds to take up relief works,” he said.
Later, the team members visited Balapur, Hafeez Baba Nagar and other areas, where overflowing water from Gurram Cheruvu and Balapur Cheruvu inundated several houses, damaging many structures. As a permanent solution, the team suggested strengthening the bunds.
GHMC officials said water had flown at a height of close to four meters from the road level. After the water drained downstream, silt had accumulated to a height of 1 to 1.5 metres in a few areas.
To expedite restoration works, the municipal corporation has deployed 171 earthmovers, 627 tractors, 30 tippers to clear the debris and silt.
During Gurram Cheruvu inspection, the team was briefed about the ongoing temporary repair works and precautionary measures being taken to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply. The repair and restoration works were taken up as per the recommendations of the Central vigilance wing, the officials said.
The team later visited Palle Cheruvu, Appa Cheruvu, the nala at Gaganpahad and inspected breach restoration works.
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