Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will conduct an aerial survey of flood-hit Warangal and Husnabad on Friday to assess crop losses and infrastructure damage caused by Cyclone Montha. He had postponed the original plan on Thursday due to unsafe flying conditions.
Flood relief ordered across cyclone-hit regions
Revanth directed all district collectors and top officials to begin immediate relief work. He asked them to prioritize evacuations, shelter arrangements, and the safety of both people and livestock. During a video conference, he reviewed the extent of cyclone-related damage in Warangal, Nalgonda, and Husnabad.
Officials reported heavy losses to paddy and cotton fields during harvest. Revanth reaffirmed the state’s paddy procurement target of 80 lakh metric tonnes. He told the Civil Supplies Department to shift soaked paddy from IKP centers to mills, godowns, or function halls, wherever feasible.
Daily monitoring and procurement accountability
The Chief Minister instructed collectors to appoint responsible officers at each procurement center. He warned of strict disciplinary action if they fail in their duties. All officials must cancel leave, carry out daily field visits, and submit reports without delay.
Moreover, he asked departments to stock tarpaulins at all centers to protect harvested paddy from additional rain.
Boosted disaster response in Warangal
Referring to the recent tragedy in Khammam, where a DCM van and its driver were swept away in floods, Revanth emphasized the need for road safety alerts. He instructed officials to set up barricades, install flood warning boards, and divert traffic at low-lying points. Local police and revenue teams must enforce road closures proactively.
To scale up relief efforts, Revanth ordered the deployment of HYDRAA teams from Hyderabad and SDRF personnel to Warangal. He announced the setting up of nine relief camps to evacuate 2,000 people. He asked officials to provide food and clean drinking water to families stranded in flooded homes.
24/7 command centers for disaster response
To ensure constant oversight, Revanth directed the Warangal Collectorate to open a toll-free helpdesk. A state-level helpline will also be launched at the Command Control Center to coordinate disaster response in real-time.