Telangana govt steps up post flood relief measures

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Wednesday stepped up relief measures at Khammam and other places hit by heavy rains and floods.

Meanwhile, the authorities issued the first warning for floods at the temple town of Bhadrachalam as the water level in the Godavari river reached 43 ft on Tuesday afternoon.

Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Collector Jitesh V Patil asked officials to shift the residents of vulnerable localities at Bhadrachalam to relief camps, official sources said.

The third and final warning level will be issued if the water level reaches 53 ft.

Officials intensified post-flood relief measures, including sanitation, resumption of water and electricity supply, in the flood-hit localities in Khammam.

Meanwhile, state BJP president and Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy formed two separate teams — led by Union MoS (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Lok Sabha MP Eatala Rajender – to visit the rain and flood-affected areas in the state.

The team led by Kumar would visit Khammam and Kodad, while the team led by Rajender would tour Mahabubabad and Mulugu districts, state BJP general secretary G Premender Reddy said in a release.

BRS leader and former minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar condemned CM Revanth Reddy’s comments that he encroached on canals in Khammam.

Kumar said he would be “ready” if the government took any action against the encroachments as per evidence.

Saying that the previous BRS government approved constructing a retaining wall for the Munneru rivulet to prevent flooding in Khammam, Kumar said the government is not completing construction of the retaining wall.

Reddy on Tuesday asked if BRS leader and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, who was visiting flood victims at Khammam, would demand removal of alleged encroachments on canals by Ajay Kumar in the town.

Rao should answer if he would sincerely cooperate to remove encroachments by Kumar on canals, he said.

Meanwhile, the Met Centre of IMD here in its Special Weather Bulletin said heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts on August 5.

At least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents as heavy downpour lashed several parts of Telangana for three days beginning August 31.