Sixty families in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district have been shifted to relief camps, while low-lying areas were inundated at several places in Telangana as rains continued to lash the state on Wednesday.
DGP Anjani Kumar, who attended a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, said 60 families in two villages of Charla area of Bhadradri Kothagudem district have been shifted to the camps, an official release said.
Low-lying areas were inundated at Warangal and other places in the state following the downpour. Rivulets and other streams were in spate and this has caused damage to roads and disruption of road links between villages in some places. TV channels showed a woman being washed away while crossing an overflowing stream in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.
The Chief Secretary directed the District Collectors and police officers to step up vigil and be on high alert as the Met department has warned of heavy rains in many parts of the state in the next 48 hours, the official release said. She said measures should be taken to prevent loss of life or property.
Santhi Kumari warned that many projects, ponds, dams and canals in Godavari basin are already flowing at full water level and that they are likely to overflow due to heavy rains in the next two days. People in low-lying areas and flood-prone areas should be shifted to safer places, she said.
The Collector of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district was directed to review the water levels in Godavari river and take appropriate precautionary measures. The Chief Secretary said sanitation works should be carried out vigorously in all the villages.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been stationed in various parts of the state and their services can be used in case of emergency. The Met Centre of IMD here in its Daily Weather Report of Telangana State (0830 hours on July 26) said most places across Telangana received rains.
Very heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in Mulugu district, while heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, Karimnagar and other districts, it said. Venkatapuram in Mulugu district received 19 centimetres of rainfall, followed by Kodad in Suryapet district (11 cm).
In its 'impact based heavy rainfall warning for districts of Telangana', the Met centre issued a red warning that heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy showers is very likely to occur at isolated places in Khammam, Nalgonda and other districts from 1600 hours of July 26 to 0830 hours on July 27.
From 0830 hours of July 27 to 0830 hours of July 28, heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Khammam, Nalgonda and other districts, it said. It forecast that heavy rain is very likely to occur in several other districts of Telangana during the same period.
In Hyderabad, the Met Centre said heavy to very heavy rain and at times intense spells are very likely to occur between 1600 hours of July 26 to 0830 hours of July 27.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Mayor Vijaya Lakshmi R Gadwal, who reviewed the rain situation with city civic officials, directed them to identify areas that face threat of inundation and take steps to ensure that there is no problem there.
She asked the Kukatpally Zonal Commissioner to take measures to address the problems of residents at Gajularamaram where waterlogging was reported in several residential colonies, a GHMC release said. She also asked the Zonal Commissioners to coordinate with traffic police officials and prevent problems in some areas where traffic issues are coming up.
