Telangana government announces half-day holiday for schools in GHMC area amid heavy rain alert

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 13 (ANI): The Telangana government has declared a half-day holiday for all government and private schools in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area on August 13 and 14, following a forecast of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
The Meteorological Department has predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rain in some parts of the GHMC area on both days.
In view of this, schools in the GHMC limits will function only in the morning shift. The order applies to all government and private institutions in the area.
Instructions have been sent to all Collectors, District Educational Officers, and the Regional Joint Director of School Education in Hyderabad to ensure compliance with the order.
The Telangana government has also cancelled the leave of all irrigation department officials for the next four days in view of a heavy to very heavy rainfall alert.
All officials have been directed to remain at their duty stations and stay fully alert to prevent any mishap or damage due to excessive rain. He instructed officials to keep a close watch on all irrigation projects, reservoirs, canals and tanks.
At the first sign of any possible breach or damage, officials have been told to immediately inform their district Collector, district Chief Engineer and the Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation).
The Principal Secretary (Irrigation) and Engineer-in-Chief have also been asked to monitor the situation in all districts closely.
Telangana Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said any irrigation official in the state should directly inform him if an alarming situation develops in any irrigation department assets or water bodies.
On Tuesday, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had instructed the officials to take all necessary safety measures to avoid the loss of life during heavy rains and also ensure no vehicle movement on the flooding bridges, canals, streams and causeways brimming with heavy flows in the low-lying areas, reads an official press release.
Special protective measures will also be taken to prevent the loss of livestock, cattle, goats and sheep while crossing the streams with high flows in the districts. (ANI)