Telangana: At least 16 dead in rain-related incidents; relief work gathers pace as rain subsides

Hyderabad: At least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week, officials said. Relief work gained momentum on Saturday as rainfall came to a halt in many parts of the state.

When contacted, a senior official told PTI that 16 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents as per the reports received till Saturday afternoon. Waterlogging continued in parts of Warangal despite rainfall subsiding since Friday. The state government has set up relief camps and ramped up rescue and rehabilitation work in rain-affected areas. The Bhadrakali tank in Warangal suffered a breach and efforts were on to plug it.

Those who returned to their homes in the town on Saturday after taking shelter in safer places during the last few days due to flooding were anguished over the damage to household items and the presence of sludge inside the houses. Meanwhile, the water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam stood at 55.40 ft at 4 PM on Saturday and the third and final warning was in force (third warning level is 53 ft). People living in vulnerable areas have already been evacuated and shifted to relief camps in the district. Agricultural fields in several districts suffered damage due to heavy rains and flooding. State Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao, who conducted a teleconference on relief works following the heavy rains, discussed measures to prevent waterborne diseases, provision of safe drinking water, sanitation management, and the rehabilitation of highways and other arterial roads to ensure they are motorable again.

The Minister asked the officials to take the relief measures as a challenge in the prevailing situation and exhorted them to move ahead with greater commitment, an official release said. Rama Rao said the state government is prepared to provide any form of assistance in this regard. He asked them to shift people from low-lying areas if necessary. Control rooms have to be set up in all districts, including Hyderabad, to coordinate the relief works. The Meteorological Centre of IMD here, in its Daily Weather Report of Telangana State (at 8.30 am on July 29), said the southwest monsoon has been weak over Telangana with the state experiencing isolated rains.

Bhainsa in Nirmal district received the highest rainfall of 3 cm, it said. Weather warning for next seven days for Telangana said that heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad and others on August 1. The heavy rains during the past one week led to inundation of low-lying areas and damage to agricultural fields at several places in the state