WORST FLOODING IN ACENTURY
CHIEF MINISTER URGES CENTRE TO IMMEDIATELY RELEASE RS1.35 BILLION FOR RELIEF MEASURES
Theworst rains and flooding in more than a century in Hyderabad and other Telangana areas left at least 50 people dead. Rescue teams were also deployed in neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka |
Heavy rains and flash floods in Telangana have claimed 50 lives, including 11 in Hyderabad, the government said on Thursday.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced Rs500,000 compensation each to the families of the deceased.
For those whose houses were completely destroyed, new houses would be built and in case of partially damaged houses, financial assistance would be given for the repairs.
The Chief Minister, who reviewed the flood situation at a high- level meeting, said for those houses which were built on nalas ( drains) and were washed away in floodwaters, new houses would be built on government land.
Heavy rains since Tuesday triggered flash floods in Hyderabad and other parts of thestate.
As per the primary estimates, the state suffered Rs50 billion loss due to heavy rains and flash floods. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to immediately release Rs1.35 billion for relief measures.
KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, sought Rs6 billion to extend relief to farmers whose crops were damaged and Rs7.5 billion for relief and rehabilitation measures in Greater Hyderabad and other areas.
According to the Chief Minister’ s Office, crops in 735,000 acres inthe state were submerged. Even if there is 50 per cent of damage to crops, the loss would be to the tune of Rs20 billion, it said. He directed the officials concerned to take up relief measures on a war footing. He asked officials to distribute rice, pulses and other essential commodities among people in affected areas.
The CM announced immediate financial assistance of Rs50 million to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation ( GHMC) for the relief works.
He also observed that if the flood situation in Hyderabad was examined, it showed that the colonies built within the FTL ( Full Tank Level) limits were flooded. “People are facing problems due to water entering the cellars of their apartments. Adequate measures shouldhave been taken while constructing the apartment to ensure that water did not stagnate in the cellars,” he said and directed officials to give permissions for apartments only if there are measures put in place to prevent water stagnation in the cellars.
It was pointed out during the meeting that for the first time after 1916,31 cm so fr a in was one day in G HM C limits. As a result of this, several places were submerged, especially those colonies which were constructed within the FTL limits.
In Hyderabad, 20,540 houses in 144 colonies at 72 places were inundated and 35,000 families were affected. Flood’s effect was more in LB Nagar, Charminar, Secunderabad and Khairatabad.
Fourteen houses were totally damaged and 65 houses partially damaged in Hyderabad. BT roads in 445 places and national highways at 6 places were damaged.
A total of 72 rehabilitation centres were opened where temporary shelter was given to people along with food. Rains and floods have adversely affected 30 other towns. As many as 238 colonies were flooded and roads were damaged at 150 places. All over the state, 101 tanks were breached and 26 tank embankments were damaged.