Act swiftly to avert major disaster : Revanth to govt

Hyderabad: Telangana PCC president and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said untimely rains disrupted the life of people in the State and the situation turned alarming in North Telangana districts.

He said the Meteorological Department has warned that there is a possibility of heavy rains for the next two days. Officials have already declared a red alert under the Kadem project in the joint Adilabad district and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao needs to act immediately as the people in the villages are unable to come out of their homes due to heavy floods and old structures are at risk of collapsing.

Revanth said that if the State government does not act swiftly, there is a risk of a major disaster. The CM should hold a high-level review meeting with all the relevant departments immediately and the government should initiate immediate reviews, plans and implement support measures.

"I demand the government to begin flood relief operations on a war-footing to control the aftermath of heavy rains and floods. A high-level team should be formed immediately to review the flood situation at the State level under the chairmanship of the CM."

Revanth said that field level teams should be formed under the chairmanship of 17 ministers for 17 Lok Sabha constituencies with senior IAS, IPS, agriculture, drinking water, medical, electricity, R&B, Panchayati Raj departments and disaster management officials. He said control rooms and help lines should be established in the 17 parliamentary constituencies. They should visit the field level from time to time and review the situation and start flood relief operations, he added.

Revanth said that a high level committee chaired by KCR should coordinate all these 17 committees. He also said NDRF teams should be deployed in flood-prone areas and action should be taken to immediately identify areas where people cannot leave their homes due to floods and provide food, drinking water and other essentials there.

Water level at projects and ponds should be assessed regularly and warnings should be given where there is a risk of breaching of embankments.

Necessary strategies for prevention of accidents in those areas should be discussed with the engineering officials and appropriate precautions should be taken, said Revanth.