Govt plans disaster response training to 800 police personnel: Ponguleti

The personnel would be equipped with necessary equipment and exclusively assigned to carry out flood relief operations.

Khammam: As many as 800 police personnel would specially be trained in flood relief operations to address future disasters in Telangana, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said here.

Measures were being taken to select and impart disaster response training to 100 police personnel from each of the eight police battalions in the State. The personnel would be equipped with necessary equipment and exclusively assigned to carry out flood relief operations. Equipment such as boats and others needed for rescue operations would be procured, he said.

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Srinivas Reddy, who on Saturday inspected the breached Palair left canal site at Hatya thanda in Kusumanchi mandal in Palair, asked officials to carry out the canal repair works in four days to provide irrigation water to the farmers. Along with the canal repairs, permanent restoration work should also be done. Heavy rains and floods occurred from August 31 to September 6 caused a loss of more than Rs 10,300 crore. A report in this regard was submitted to the Centre, he said, adding that Rs.5 lakh would be sanctioned under Indiramma Housing Scheme by the end of September to those who totally lost their houses.

A delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah next week in New Delhi to submit proposals for disaster relief funds, he said.