KTR directs officials to be alert, cancels leaves

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday asked the higher officials to cancel the leaves of all the employees of the department and directed them to keep the latter alert on the field.

The Minister reviewed the impact of heavy rains in Hyderabad city and other urban local bodies in the State and instructed the officials to take all necessary precautions and also step up relief measures where required. With more rains expected in the next two weeks, the Minister asked the senior officials to cancel the leaves of all the employees and directed them to stay put on alert and on the field. He asked the department heads to hand over the responsibilities especially to senior officials during the rains. He directed the officials including commissioners to conduct surprise inspections from time to time.

The officials informed that Hyderabad received heavy rainfall of 54 cm in the last ten days. They also pointed that such heavy rains lashed the city within a few hours leading to water logging in low lying areas.

Rao instructed the officials to identify and demolish the buildings which are on the verge of collapsing. He also asked them to set up teams in the water logging areas and monitor the situation. The officials were asked to send out safety and security guidelines to the private contractors who take up construction works in the city.

The Minister was then informed that about 170 rescue teams were working in Hyderabad city to take control of the situation. He wanted the officials to educate the builders on taking precautions at constructions sites during rains.

Minister instructed the officials to take up the repairing works to fix the roads damaged during the rains and also asked them to rope in entomology department workers to ensure sanitation works are taken up after rains stop.