HYDERABAD: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister KT Rama Rao said that the State government was on high alert due to the incessant rains, and that rescue operations were in place to shift people in low-lying areas to temporary camps in the next two days.
Rama Rao, speaking during the State Legislative Council on Wednesday, said that around 40 camps were set up in Hyderabad and that people there were provided with free food.
“Due to court cases and stubbornness, some people were not vacating dilapidated buildings,” the Minister said.
He said that boats of NDRF teams and the Tourism Department, along with helicopters, were kept ready to rescue people in the city. “We are trying our best to ensure that no lives are lost,” Rama Rao said.
He said that roadside destitutes would be shifted to night shelters. Over 155 Annapurna canteens would provide meals in the morning and night. Normally, the canteen provides 20,000 meals a day, but now it has been increased to 80,000 per day.
“The municipal and health officials are taking all precautions, as there is a possibility of communicable diseases being spread,” Rama Rao said. He said that IAS and IPS officers were made in-charge of zones in the city.
‘Ready to relocate religious structures’
On the religious structures in the city which were causing traffic jams, Rama Rao said that if the AIMIM and BJP co-operated with the GHMC, they were ready to relocate the structures as it was done in Gujarat when Modi was CM. “No God is willing to live in polluted streets. We will take a decision on this soon with the approval of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao,” he added.
Singur project overflows
Due to heavy rains, water was overflowing from the Singur project on Wednesday. Thus, all projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers in TS have filled to the brim. The current level in Singur is 28.22 tmcft, as against the full storage capacity of 29.91 tmcft. The average inflows into it were recorded at 53,047 cusecs on Wednesday morning, and it reduced to 28,826 cusecs by 6 pm. The inflows into Srisailam were 3,44,158 cusecs, Nagarjuna Sagar 2,73,563 cusecs and Pulichintala 4,30,319 cusecs. The inflows to Lower Manair were 1,07,826 cusecs. 2 people who died while crossing the Jerripothula Mysamma Vaagu in Wanaparthy on Monday, were found on Wednesday. The victims have been identified as 57-year-old Govind, and 52-year-old Buchhareddy.