What is status of flood relief measures from 2020 to 2023? Telangana HC asks govt

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar on Friday directed the Telangana State government to file a comprehensive report on the flood relief measures taken up by the state from 2020 to 2023, including the recent floods witnessed by the state during July’s heavy rainfall.

The court asked the state to list the relief measures taken so far and that which are yet to be taken such as rehabilitating flood victims to safer places, extending compensation to dependants who lost families during the floods, and provisions for shelter, food and other materials made to the those who lost homes during the floods that affected many districts across Telangana. The court also asked for the list of people who lost their lives during the flood and the war rooms created to handle the floods and asked for the report by August 31.

The Division Bench was adjudicating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Cheruku Sudhakar, MBBS, seeking directions to the Union of India and the Telangana State government to extend the aforementioned relief measures promised to flood victims from 2020.

In the PIL, the petitioner said that many farmers lost their crops, people lost their houses, and belongings and other materials were washed away in the 2020 floods. The compensation and ex-gratia due for the flood victims is still pending from the state, he said.

Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, filed an interim application in the PIL, seeking a direction to the state to extend relief measures to flood victims of the 2023 floods, from various districts of Telangana, including Mulugu, Jayashankai Bhoopalapally, Peddapalli, Asifabad Komaram Bheem, Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudeam, Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Mahabubnagar, and Hyderabad.

The petitioner sought a direction to the state to pay compensation and ex-gratia to the dependants of those farmers and persons, who lost their lives in the 2023 floods, if any.

The court was adjourned to August 31.

So far, a total of 10,696 persons from 108 villages, affected by flash floods in Telangana, have been shifted to safe places. In one of the most affected areas, Moranchapali village of Bhupalpally district, 600 people were rescued so far. Six persons in the village, trapped in the middle of flood waters, were rescued by an Army helicopter.

Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari directed the district collectors to carry out intensive relief and rehabilitation programs in the areas severely affected due to heavy rains over the past few days. All primary health centres, community health centres, district hospitals and private hospitals were asked to stay open 24 hours for the time being.

Telangana Director General of police, Anjani Kumar said that National Highways and other roads have been damaged in 85 areas, and officials of the departments concerned are taking steps to repair them.