Special teams to monitor tanks; Centre to assess damage

KCR asks officials to maintain high alert and set up at least 12 teams in State capital to ensure tanks do not breach due to heavy rain

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has asked the official machinery to be on high alert to ensure that tanks and lakes in Hyderabad city are not breached due to heavy rains and flash floods.

Meanwhile, the Centre has deputed an inter-Ministerial team to Telangana for two days beginning Thursday for an on-the-spot assessment of the damages caused by the recent heavy rains and floods, according to a Union Home Ministry official. The team will be led by a joint secretary of the Union Home Ministry and they will submit a report to the Centre on the extent of damage caused by the heavy rains.

Reviewing the relief and rescue efforts, the Chief Minister wanted at least 12 special teams to be formed to examine the tanks in the city from time-to-time and take the necessary measures to prevent any untoward incident. The Chief Minister spoke to Principal Secretary (Water Resources) Rajat Kumar in this regard on Wednesday.

“Hyderabad received heavy rains which were unprecedented in the last hundred years. This has resulted in heavy floodwater inflows. Besides the floodwater in the city, water from the tanks in surrounding areas also entered the city. All the tanks are overflowing with water,” Rao told officials, according to a press release here on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the Met department forecast chances of more heavy rains. He asked the official machinery to be on a high alert. As the tanks in city are full and with floodwater inflows coming into them there was every likelihood tank breaches leading to more damages. Hence, the Chief Minister directed for formation of at least 15 special teams with water Resources department officials and staff to examine each and every tank and lake in the city. The teams should Identify the tanks likely to breach and take precautionary measures. In the event of a breach, they should take up repairs immediately.

Chandrashekhar Rao was particular that people living in low lying and vulnerable areas be alerted and shifted to safer places.