Take all precautionary measures to prevent loss of life: Ponguleti

Hyderabad: With the Telangana receiving heavy rains for the last two days, Minister for Revenue Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has instructed district collectors and police officials to take precautionary measures to prevent loss of life and property.

The Minister held a video conference with district collectors, police commissioners, and SPs from the Secretariat here on Sunday and reviewed the rainfall situation.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka also participated in the video conference from the Khmmam district collector's office and provided suggestions to the District Collectors. Officials from various departments such as Municipal, Health, Irrigation, Revenue, Disaster Management, GHMC, Jalamandali, Transco, and others attended the video conference.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Srinivas Reddy said that due to the heavy rainfall in Telangana, proactive measures were taken to prevent loss of life and property. He praised the officials for their timely actions in releasing water from reservoirs and rivers, including Godavari and Krishna, which helped prevent major damage to tanks and ponds. However, the Minister cautioned that all reservoirs in the State are full, and there is a risk of breaches if more rainfall occurs.

Suggesting the officials to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures, he specifically mentioned that Mahabubabad, Mulugu, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Khammam districts were severely affected by floods and heavy rainfall, resulting in several villagers being stranded in water.

The Minister also appreciated the authorities for rescuing many people safely in the flood hit areas and however, expressed deep regret over the loss of eight lives.

In light of the severity of the situation, he directed district collectors to cancel leaves for all officials and staff and asked them to declare holidays for educational institutions, considering local conditions.