Hyderabad: A Central team began a three-day visit to Telangana on Wednesday, September 11, to assess the damage caused in several parts of the state due to the recent heavy rains and floods.
The six-member team headed by Col K P Singh held discussions with state Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, who briefed them on the damage.
In the wake of recent floods across Telangana, chief secretary Santhi Kumari has urged the central government to set more flexible guidelines to enable the state to provide extensive relief. She highlighted the chief minister’s directive to establish specialised rescue teams on par with the NDRF, seeking NDMA support for training and logistics. She noted that despite receiving short-notice weather alerts, the state’s swift action helped minimize human casualties.
Furthermore, Santhi Kumari addressed challenges such as air rescue operations, she called for central cooperation to tackle these difficulties. She also flagged the massive ecological disaster in Eturnagaram, where 332 hectares of trees were felled, prompting the central team to recommend a detailed study into this unprecedented event.
Special chief secretary for disaster management, Arvind Kumar, estimated the damages at Rs 5,438 crores, though assessments are ongoing. Various departments, including agriculture and municipal administration, presented their assessments of the damage to the central team, which also viewed a photo exhibition earlier illustrating the impact of the rains.
The central team is set to tour the flood-affected districts of Khammam and Mahbubabad to further assess the situation and interact with affected individuals and local administrations.
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