Hyderabad: Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force rescued seven villagers trapped in floods in Telangana’s Rajanna Sircilla district on Thursday, August 28.
The villagers, who had gone to graze their cattle, were stranded in the floods near the Upper Maneru Project, Gambhiraopet Mandal, for over 26 hours.
District collector Sandeep Kumar Jha and superintendent of police (SP) Mahesh B Gite said that essential food items were delivered using drones to the trapped men.
Two helicopters will remain stationed at Sircilla to provide immediate assistance.
In Siddipet district, three people trapped on the embankment of a pond were rescued with the help of a boat. Their family expressed happiness and thanked the revenue and police officials.
CM conducts aerial survey of rain-hit areas
Meanwhile, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the areas affected by heavy rains in the state.
The chief minister, accompanied by state irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, visited the Sripada Yellampally Project on the Godavari River in Peddapalli district.
Two persons each were swept away in flood waters in Kamareddy and Medak districts and another person was washed away in Rajanna Sircilla district, said an official release.
State DGP Jitender said teams of NDRF, SDRF, Special Police and fire services rescued nearly 1,000 people in Kamareddy, Medak, Nirmal, Adilabad, Sircilla districts and shifted them to safer places.
He directed officials to shift people to safer places and provide essentials like food, clothes and bed sheets.
Rescue teams of Revenue, Police and Disaster Management saved 60 people trapped in floods.
Heavy rains continue in Telangana
Heavy rains continued to lash Kamareddy, Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts in the state on Thursday. Six mandals have been severely affected by floods, namely Kamareddy, Bibipet, Rajampet, Nizamsagar, Yellareddy, and Machareddy.
Ramareddy village and Argonda station in Kamareddy received 171.3 mm and 44 cm of rain on Thursday, respectively.
A total of 23 locations received more than 20 cm of rainfall, including 10 stations in Kamareddy, four in Nirmal, six in Medak and the remaining in Nizamabad and Siddipet, the Telangana Development Planning Society said.
This has been the heaviest downpour in such a short span in the last 50 years.
With the coordination of all concerned departments, more than 500 people have been rescued so far.
69 trains cancelled
Meanwhile, the South Central Railway (SCR) said 69 trains were cancelled and 18 trains were partially cancelled due to water overflowing on tracks at different locations in its Hyderabad Division.
He also said 26 trains were diverted till Thursday afternoon.
(With inputs from agencies)
