Telangana readies for heavy rains, sets up disaster action plan across districts

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By HNH Web Desk
Telangana

Hyderabad: With the Indian Meteorological Department warning of heavier-than-usual monsoon rains this year, Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has ordered district administrations, especially those along the Godavari and Krishna basins, to stay on high alert and implement pre-emptive flood control measures immediately.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday, the minister said flood planning must begin before disaster strikes – not after. He instructed officials to adopt Hyderabad’s disaster readiness model across districts and announced the formation of a state-level committee to strengthen the disaster management department. This committee, comprising senior heads from departments including Irrigation, Health, Fire Services, and Command Control, has been tasked with submitting a detailed action report within a week.

Pointing to past monsoon experiences, Srinivas Reddy said unpredictable cloudbursts in July, August, and September have caused sudden, severe flooding in riverine regions. He emphasised early identification and relocation of vulnerable settlements, with permanent housing solutions like Indiramma homes for displaced families.

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He urged officials to abandon outdated approaches and embrace a tech-driven, coordinated disaster strategy across departments. Hyderabad’s Integrated Command and Control Centre will extend access to critical alert systems, with unique user logins to district teams. District collectors have been asked to prepare area-specific flood action plans by June 30.

To reduce vulnerability, the minister ordered urgent repairs of bunds, canals, and drains. Every mandal must now have a tailored flood response plan – including evacuation routes, relief camp locations, emergency contact points, and ready access to boats, life jackets, and dry ration kits.

Srinivas Reddy stressed inter-departmental coordination, asking for joint control rooms and local rescue teams with training in rapid evacuation and emergency response. He directed that public awareness be ramped up through mobile outreach, PA systems, and direct meetings, particularly in high-risk zones.

He also mandated deployment of mobile health units, ensuring adequate supplies of essential medicines, water purification tablets, and hygiene kits. Community awareness campaigns will be conducted in flood-prone areas in partnership with volunteers and teams from NDRF, SDRF, and Fire Services.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Principal Secretary (Revenue) Naveen Mittal, Disaster Management Commissioner Harish, Fire DG Nagi Reddy, Hyderabad Commissioner Ranganath, and collectors from Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jogulamba Gadwal, Mulugu, Nirmal, and Wanaparthy districts.

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