KTR reviews flood situation

Sircilla: Municipal Administration and Urban Development, IT Minister Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao directed the district officials to be alert in the wake of heavy rains.

He visited the district on Thursday and held a review meeting with ZP chairperson, district Collector, SP and Municipal, Irrigation, Engineering Departments, Agriculture and Allied Sectors officials in view of heavy rains.

He stated that July has recorded the highest rainfall ever. According to the preliminary information, there were no abnormal conditions like Peddapalli, Jagtial and Nirmal in the district which recorded 450 per cent more than normal rainfall.

However, officials should not be careless and take steps to avoid loss of life. The district officials should be proactive to ensure that property damage was minimised. Strict action should be taken when people's lives need to be saved.

Barricades should be put up at construction sites. District Irrigation Officer Amarender Reddy informed the Minister that the condition of 666 tanks safe in the district. People living in dilapidated houses should vacate, dangerous bore wells and open wells should be identified and buried to avoid repetition of past incidents in Sircilla town, Rama Rao said.

It should be seen that the rain water and flood water in the town are diverted quickly. Regular sanitation work should be undertaken to prevent the spread of seasonal diseases in villages and towns. As Manair, Mulavagu and Nakkavagu rivers were overflowing, villagers should be alerted.

Campaign on safety measures should be done through local cable channels. Short messages should be sent to people's mobiles and people should be sensitized in coordination with the relevant government departments at the field level, the Minister said

People should be alerted before releasing water from Mid Manair Reservoir so as to avoid loss of life. People visiting Mid Manair reservoir in Boinipelli and Ellanthakunta mandals should be controlled, he advised.

Notices should be issued on contracts delaying works. If there was still no response, the contracts should be blacklisted and the concerned engineering authorities should take action to prevent water pollution of Mission Bhagiratha.

Capacity should be increased to increase the number of samples of top water, Rama Rao said, expressing anger at testing only 350 samples of 1,30,000 connections in the district. For Mission Bhagiratha connections in the district, testing samples as per international quality standards should be increased, the Minister added.