As incessant torrential rainfall battered the southern state of Telangana, several rain-related incidents claimed at least 16 lives. In light of the devastating situation in the state, the Revanth Reddy-led government on Monday estimated the damage at Rs 5,000 crore and sought an immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre.
Telangana rains: Flood situation in state
The incessant rainfall caused inundation of low-lying areas, damage to agricultural crops and disruption of the state's rail and road links with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Khammam is one of the worst affected areas with extensive damage as household items were washed away.
According to an official of the Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway (SCR), as many as 432 trains were cancelled, 13 trains were partially cancelled while 139 trains were diverted till Monday afternoon owing to the heavy rains and waterlogging over the tracks.
Around 10,000 passengers from five trains in the Kazipet-Vijayawada section were brought to the nearest Railway stations in state-run RTC buses on Sunday evening and special trains were arranged to take them to their respective destinations, he added.
A portion of gravel under the railway track near Kesamudram was earlier washed away due to floodwaters. Restoration works were underway, the official said. The situation has been monitored by SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain and other Railway officials.
Train services are expected to resume on the Kazipet-Vijayawada section by this evening
Traffic on NH-65 between Hyderabad and Vijayawada is being allowed as usual from Monday late evening, Suryapet district Superintendent of Police Sunpreet Singh said in a release.
Telangana rains: What did the CM say?
Taking cognisance of the devastating situation in the state, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who were killed in the rain-related incidents.
Moreover, the chief minister urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the rain-hit areas and to declare the floods as a national calamity. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Revanth Reddy on Sunday and promised to help the state on behalf of the Centre.
The CM held a meeting with ministers and officials at Suryapet as part of his visit to rain-hit areas. In view of the forecast of rains in Khammam, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Nirmal districts on Monday and Tuesday, the Chief Minister also held a meeting with officials in Hyderabad and directed the Collectors and other officials of these districts to be alert and to shift the people in low-lying areas to relief camps if necessary.
He suggested setting up control rooms in district Collectorates to monitor the situation. Revanth Reddy also instructed officials to enumerate the crop damage so that ex-gratia can be announced expeditiously.
He also ordered sanctioning of houses under the 'Indiramma' housing scheme for those whose houses collapsed due to the heavy rains.
Officials were directed to address issues related to traffic, supply of power, water and also sanitation in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation without any delay.
The state government will submit a comprehensive report on the flood damage to the Centre, the release said.
Telangana rains: Met Department's predictions
The weather department predicted heavy rain at isolated places in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy districts till 8.30 am on September 3.
Morreover, thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are very likely to occur at isolated places in many districts of Telangana during this period. It issued a yellow alert for this forecast.
