Torrential rains in Telangana leave 50 dead

A total of 50 people, including 11 from Hyderabad, died in rain-related incidents in the state. Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao urged the Centre to release Rs 1,350 crore immediately towards relief work and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this connection.

Hyderabad:In one of the worst spells of downpour spanning over a few days in this city and other parts of Telangana, 50 people died while the government pegged the losses from the deluge at an estimated Rs 5,000 crore.

With relief works underway, the city and other affected parts started limping towards normalcy.

A total of 50 people, including 11 from Hyderabad, died in rain-related incidents in the state.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao urged the Centre to release Rs 1,350 crore immediately towards relief work and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this connection.

The flood situation in neighbouring Karnataka worsened on Thursday with several areas in the northern parts of the state inundated due to torrential rains and release of water from major dams.

In Telangana, officials said that for the first time after 1916, such a big spell of rain was recorded under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, leading to several localities being submerged.

Chief Minister Rao, who reviewed the situation, directed the officials to take up relief measures on a war footing.

Immediate financial assistance of Rs five crore would be provided to the GHMC to carry out relief works, an official release quoted him as saying.

He also announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the families of the deceased. New houses would be built for those whose homes were completely destroyed, while financial assistance would be given to those whose houses suffered partial damage.

Draining out stagnant water and restoration of power supply should be done on a war-footing, he said.

Rao observed that a closer look at the flood situation in Hyderabad shows that residential colonies built within the Full Tank Level (FTL) of tank faced flooding.

Adequate measures should have been taken while constructing apartments so as to ensure that water does not stagnate in the cellars.

He directed that henceforth while giving building approvals to apartments, there should be a regulation that measures should be put in place to prevent water stagnation in the cellars.

Officials said 20,540 houses in 144 colonies at 72 places in Hyderabad were inundated. As many as 35,000 families were affected.

The government opened 72 centres in Hyderabad to shelter affected people. Daily meals were served to 1.10 lakh people.

Though water started receding from many inundated parts of the city, some localities continued to remain under water and the government machinery stepped up efforts to pump out water.

The heavy rains, officials said damaged crops on 7.35 lakh acres in the state and estimated Rs 2,000 crore loss to the sector.

(With inputs from PTI)