Telangana rains: CM asks officials to gear up relief efforts

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 24 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday asked officials to be prepared to take up rescue and relief measures in view of the forecast of rainfall in the state in the next few days.
Accordingly, the Chief Secretary conducted a teleconference with senior officials and district Collectors and apprised them about the heavy to very heavy rainfall threat across the State and the need to be vigilant. He asked them to focus on ensuring that there is no loss of human life.
Chief Minister Rao also said that the government is ready to face any eventuality and instructed the officials to be on alert. "The state was already flooded with heavy rains for two weeks and the canals, water bodies and ponds will overflow in heavy rains in the next two days. In view of this development, the Chief Minister appealed to people to be on alert and adopt self-protection measures. People are requested to cancel their unnecessary travel plans," the office of the Chief Minister informed on Saturday.
It further informed that the river Godavari has been overflowing from its birthplace at Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra to the Bay of Bengal and the tributaries are also flooding. The Chief Minister said that it is a testing time for the state administration to protect people from the natural calamity. He said that the entire administration should be on alert and take up rescue operations and ensure no loss of life occurs. He said that the government is ready to extend all kinds of assistance.
Rao said that all the departments involved in emergency services along with the other wings, which are assisting in the heavy rains should not leave their workplaces at any cost. He instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue circulars in this regard immediately.
The Chief Minister held a high-level meeting over the heavy rain and flood situations in Pragati Bhavan.
Rao instructed Chief Secretary to keep ready two choppers in addition to the one kept already in the state capital. One chopper will be kept in Mulugu and the other one in Kothagudem. He said that health camps will be conducted in Khamam and Kothagudem areas. Rao instructed Disaster Management Secretary Rahul Bojja to keep ready NDRF and rescue teams for emergency purposes.
In its weather forecast and warnings, the Met Centre of IMD here said heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Komram Bheem, Nirmal, Jagtial and other districts from 2030 hours of Saturday to 0830 hours on Sunday.
It said light to moderate rain or thundershowers is very likely to occur at many places over Telangana during the same time period.
From 0830 hours on Sunday to 0830 hours on July 25, heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Nalgonda, Khammam, Suryapet and other districts. (ANI)