Telangana Rains: Over 19,000 shifted to relief camps across State so far

Hyderabad: With heavy rains lashing the State since last few days, Telangana Government has shifted over 19,000 people to relief camps across the State till Thursday evening. About 16 persons have been rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) while another two persons were airlifted by the Indian Air Force so far. Seven NDRF teams, […]

Hyderabad: With heavy rains lashing the State since last few days, Telangana Government has shifted over 19,000 people to relief camps across the State till Thursday evening.

About 16 persons have been rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) while another two persons were airlifted by the Indian Air Force so far.

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Seven NDRF teams, including three at Bhadrachalam, two each at Mulugu and Bhupalpally have been deployed to take up rescue and relief operations immediately. Officials are regularly monitoring the water overflows into different projects.

About 19,071 people have been shifted to 223 special camps put up across the State. Among these, 6,318 persons have been shifted to 43 camps in Bhadrachalam, 4,049 persons in 33 camps in Mulugu and 1,226 people have been accommodated in 20 camps in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting with officials of different departments and took stock of the situation arising due to incessant rains, besides water levels in River Godavari at Bhadrachalam.

Since water level in River Godavari was alarming, he said special focus was being laid on Mulugu, Bhupalpally and Bhadrachalam districts and held a teleconference with the district Collectors and SPs.

During the conference, Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar said that with the water in Godavari reaching alarming levels, additional contingent plan should be formulated so as to ensure that all line departments were more vigilant and step up relief and rescue measures on a war footing basis.

With Met department forecast of heavy to very heavy rains over the next couple of days and with River Godavari in spate, water level at Bhadrachalam was expected to reach more than 70 feet by Friday.

Chief Secretary directed that low lying areas, which were prone to submergence, have to be identified and people in those areas should be shifted to special camps. He complimented the officials of all line departments for working in close coordination and preventing loss of human life.

District Collectors were directed to arrange earth movers, generators, sand bags and other materials in additional quantities and place them at strategic locations.

DGP Mahender Reddy said additional forces along with equipment like boats, life jackets and others were being sent to districts to handle emergency cases.

Photos, video courtesy: Indian Air Force