CM Revanth announces ‘HYDRA’ to strengthen disaster mgmt in GHMC

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that the Disaster Management wing will be expanded and made as Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA) and would provide services to 27 Municipalities, corporations and 33 Gram Panchayats around the GHMC.

In a review meeting with the Municipal Administration, HMDA and Musi Development officials on Monday at Secretariat, the Chief Minister had decided to hand over the most important responsibilities to the disaster management department within Greater Hyderabad. Along with the systemic changes, the officials were advised to distribute the responsibilities accordingly. In view of the expansion of the geographical scope of Hyderabad, the scope of the Disaster Management Department has also been ordered to be expanded up to the Outer Ring Road. The CM said that a DIG-level officer should be the director of this department and the SP level officers should be the additional directors. It was suggested that special teams from GHMC, HMDA, Water Board, City Traffic and various departments should be appointed in this department.

The Chief Minister directed that the disaster management department should be restructured so that it can provide continuous services to the people of the city, not just in case of floods and accidents. HYDRA should act actively in all the problems faced by the people in the city. It was also decided that this department would take up the key responsibilities of protecting the lakes and ponds within the GHMC area of about 2,000 kms, the canals of the city and the government properties from encroachment.

Apart from this, this department provides services in hoardings, control of flexi, drinking water pipelines, power supply lines, drainages, flood management and traffic control. The Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to prepare a draft on the reorganisation, personnel, duties, allocation of funds and responsibilities of this department.

The CM directed the officials to speed up the work of Musi River Development Project. The CM alerted the officials that this project should work in accordance with the government's aim to make Hyderabad city internationally famous. The CM asked the officials to take appropriate measures to restore the buildings of historical importance and dilapidated structures in Hyderabad city.