Telangana districts along Godavari river on alert

Hyderabad, July 23:  With the met department's forecast of heavy rains over next 2-3 days in Telangana, the state government on Saturday alerted all the districts, especially those along Godavari river.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao warned the officials that the state may face more intense floods than the one witnessed last week.

In view of the heavy rains and floods in several districts of the state since Friday, he reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting with ministers and officials.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, noted that Godavari river is in spate from its originating point in Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra to the point where it drains in the Bay of Bengal.

The overflowing rivulets, streams, lakes and tanks are also emptying into the river. Stating that this is a testing time for the state and people should be saved, he directed officials of all the departments not to leave their headquarters.

He asked the ministers, MLAs and other public representatives in areas along the course of Godavari river to remain alert. KCR asked them to coordinate with officials to make arrangements for shifting people from flood-affected and low-lying areas to safe places.

The Chief Minister enquired about the situation in Hyderabad from officials of the Municipal Administration Department, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB).

Irrigation Department officials, through a powerpoint presentation, briefed the Chief Minister on the flood situation at projects across Godavari.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a teleconference with senior officials and district Collectors and apprised them about the heavy to very heavy rainfall threat across the state and need to be vigilant. He asked them to focus on ensuring that there is no loss of human life.

The Chief Secretary stated that since there is a heavy to very heavy rainfall alert over the next couple of days, the Collectors should ensure that all the officials in the district are available in the headquarters and no leave should be granted. He asked to identify low-lying areas and keep relief camps ready.

The Collectors were directed to set up control rooms in the Collectorate. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall and the impact will be seen from Sunday afternoon. There may be breaches to irrigation tanks.A roads, causeways may also likely be submerged. As the tanks, ponds and reservoirs are in spate, officials should be on high alert and see that sand bags are kept ready if breaches to vulnerable tanks take place, he said.