Centre rushes 9 NDRF teams to Telangana

Hyderabad: The Union Home Ministry dispatched nine additional teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Assam to Telangana in the wake of heavy rains that lashed the state for the past two days inundating over 110 villages.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that he had apprised Union Home Minister Amit Shah of the grim situation following the inundation of villages and housing colonies and informed him that Khammam and Warangal districts were the worst-hit.

He appraised Shah that over 110 villages have been inundated in Khammam district. Also nine persons in Parakashnagar of Khammam town were trapped in the flood waters. Similarly, 68 people in the Ajmira Thanda in the Paleru Assembly segment were also trapped in flood waters, while 42 took shelter on the apartment buildings waiting to be rescued.

Sanjay Kumar asked the NDRF senior officials to coordinate with the state officials. He also spoke to Telangana State Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and assured of all help.

The state minister informed Sanjay Kumar that flood waters inundated the Rajeev Gruhakalpa houses in the Karunagiri of Khammam town. Further, he said the entire Khammam town was flooded and transport lines from all sides were cut off.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy asked the people not to venture outside as the IMD forecasted heavy rains for the next 24 hours.

He said that several areas were submerged and were in darkness as power lines were snapped and drains overflowed. He asked the BJP cadre, and leaders and people’s representatives to extend their cooperation and join the rescue and relief efforts.

Early in the morning, BJP Tamil Nadu co-in-charge Dr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy sought the intervention of Union ministers from Telangana in stepping up the rescue efforts of people in the flood-hit Khammam.