Be on alert, CS Santhi Kumari tells Collectors as rains likely for three days

Hyderabad: Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari directed that the Collectors of all the districts be alert as the Meteorological Department warned that there was a chance of rain in the State for the next three days.

The Chief Minister of the State was constantly reviewing the heavy rains for the past week and has ordered measures to prevent any loss of life and property in the districts. In advance, the Collectors were advised to take steps to establish rehabilitation centres and work in coordination with the police, irrigation, panchayat raj, fire department, NDRF, SDRF, and other departments. The Chief Secretary had a review meeting with the district collectors through teleconference on preparedness for the rains. DGP Jitender and Principal Secretary of the Planning Department, Sandeep Sultania, also participated in this teleconference.

The CS said that due to the rains in the State, many ponds and water bodies have filled up, and precautionary measures should be taken before they get breached. She announced the deployment of NDRF teams in Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu districts as a precautionary measure. She further highlighted that special control rooms should be established in all districts.

The CS advised the District Collectors to contact them at any time if they needed any urgent help. Precautionary measures should be taken, mainly in low-lying areas. She said that appropriate bandobast should be in place in those areas so that no one crosses the streams.

DGP Jitender informed that all the police commissioners and SPs in the State were working in coordination with the district collector and other government officials. He said that so far no untoward incident has taken place, and all the police officers are monitoring at the field level. Principal Secretary, Planning Department, Sandeep Sultania, said that there was a possibility of moderate to heavy rains along with gusty winds of 30 to 40 kmph in many districts of the State for the next three days.

The Collector of Bhadradri, Kothagudem, said that a second danger warning was already announced at Bhadrachalam, and a third danger warning will be issued if it reaches 53 feet. He said that they were already submitting a preliminary report to the government on the damaged residential houses and other damages in the districts. He informed that teams of NDRF and SDRF were kept ready to deal with any unexpected incidents in the district.

The Mulugu District Collector said that teams of officers were formed in all the mandals and were vigilant. The collector said that a special information officer has been identified in each village, and the situation is being monitored from time to time. It has been explained that there was an area of Godavari in Mulugu with about one hundred kilometres where 77 villages were identified as problematic villages, and preventive measures were taken. District-wise flood and rain impacts were reviewed with the CS, Collectors, CPs, and SPs of the respective districts. All the field-level officials were requested to be available in their respective areas, take immediate action as per the situation, and respond as fast as possible. Appropriate action will be taken if any negligence is noticed.