Hyderabad: Telangana municipal administration and urban development minister KT Rama Rao, on Tuesday, reviewed Monsoon preparedness and directed municipal officials to enhance the steps taken to deal with the crisis situation during the season.
He further asked them to ensure all preparations were in place to meet any kind of issues that would arise during intense spells of rain in Hyderabad.
While chairing a review meeting on monsoon preparedness with senior officials from various wings of the MA&UD and GHMC, KTR directed officials to get ready to tackle situations like potential flash floods and intense spells of rain in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other areas across the state.
KTR further said that priority should be given to safeguarding the lives of people during emergency situations of intense spells of rains.
While briefing the arrangements to KTR, senior MA&UD officials said that safety audits of nalas in the GHMC and other ULBs in the state have been successfully completed.
KTR further enquired about the latest status of the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP), taken up to address the urban flooding issue in and around GHMC areas.
Replying to his query, an SNDP official said, “a majority of related works have been completed and several colonies in Hyderabad, which were inundated during last year’s heavy rains, are better placed in handling similar situations this year.”
The minister further asked the officials to identify low-lying areas and take up measures such as deploying dewatering pumps and other resources.
The officials were further asked to monitor water storage levels in ponds and lakes constantly so that overflow is prevented.
KTR, during the meeting, also reviewed the Ward Office System and stated, “initiative could face teething problems as it is in the inception stage and to resolve the issues,” while he exhorted GHMC zonal commissioners and deputy commissioners to take proactive measures.
Additionally, directions to establish a dedicated IT team and harness technology to enhance the efficiency of the Ward Office system was issued by the minister.
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