Telangana floods: KCR asks irrigation department to discharge water into SRSP; urges people to stay home

Telangana: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the Irrigation officials to discharge water into SRSP and other reservoirs following heavy inflow into Godavari due to incessant rains In Maharashtra and other catchment areas.

This follows the IMD warning that several parts of Telangana will receive heavy rains in the next two or three days. KCR directed the Ministers, MLAs, Collectors, officials, and staff to cancel other activities and remain available. All of them have been asked to be on high alert.

KCR held a meeting for over 12 hours and reviewed the flood situation with ministers and higher officials.

Speaking at the meeting, KCR said that the government machinery should be prepared to tackle any situation. He talked to ministers and people representatives over the phone and enquired about rains and flood situation in their respective areas.

The CM also spoke to officials and ascertained the situation in the flood-prone districts. He assessed the flood situation in the Godavari, heavy inflows, and flood waters in the tributaries. CM KCR evaluated the flood information on the screen and made suggestions to the officials about precautions to be taken in flood-affected areas.

The CM instructed Irrigation Engineer-In-Chief Muralidhar to take adequate measures to avoid spillover from reservoirs. As the IMD warned of rain for another one week to 10 days, he appealed to people to co-operate with officials and take precautions. He urged people not to venture out unless there is urgency.

KCR instructed Chief Secretary to keep NDRF, and choppers ready for rescue operations in Godavari catchment area, GHMC, and other Municipal areas. The officials gave a detailed briefing to Chief Minister about the relief operations taken to rescue people from flood-affected places during two-day heavy rains.

The authorities informed CM that Nizamabad, Mulugu, Ramannagudem, etc are receiving heavy downpours and the situation is under control. The CM directed the officials to take up required emergency measures. He reiterated that official machinery should be prepared to deal with any eventuality.

Godavari is in spate at Bhadrachalam as the tributaries - Pranahitha and Indravati are receiving heavy inflows. Following a third flood warning issued in Bhadrachalam, the CM spoke to Minister P Ajay Kumar over the phone and instructed him to stay in the town and monitor the situation closely.

KCR made it clear that local people representatives, collectors, and officials should stay in their district headquarters and not leave their places in the wake of red alerts sounded in Warangal, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Tungaturthi, Mahbubabad, Jangaon, etc

He instructed Minister G Jagadish Reddy to hold regular review meetings with Old Nalgonda district collectors and SPs. He asked Ministers Indrakaran Reddy and V Prashant Reddy to put the entire administration on high alert in Adilabad and Nizamabad districts in the wake of floods in Godavari.

He asked Indrakaran Reddy to coordinate with Irrigation officials and ensure the discharge of excess flows from Gaddennavagu and Swarnavagu and maintain 70 percent storage.