Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 12 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has instructed the officials to take all necessary safety measures to avoid the loss of life during heavy rains and also ensure no vehicle movement on the flooding bridges, canals, streams and causeways brimming with heavy flows in the low lying areas, reads an official press release.

Special protective measures will also be taken to prevent the loss of livestock - cattle, goats and sheep while crossing the streams with high flows in the districts.

Following the IMD forecast that the state will receive heavy to very heavy rains in the next 72 hours across the state, the Chief Minister held a video conference with senior officials of all departments and district Collectors from the Command Control Centre on Tuesday evening.

The Chief Minister instructed the state Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to appoint senior officers as Special Officers for the districts which are likely to receive very heavy rains. All the officials and staff were ordered to cancel their leave and join their duties at the field level immediately.

Chief Minister Reddy observed that the state is witnessing heavy rains due to climate change. It is an astonishing phenomenon that the state is receiving very heavy downpour in just two hours, which is equal to two months of rain earlier.

The CM emphasised that strategies and disaster management plans should be prepared to reduce the unexpected damage due to cloud bursts in the future. Citing the examples of torrential rains, which caused loss of life and huge property damage in many areas of Khammam and Warangal districts, the CM said that such incidents should not recur under any circumstances.

Instructing the State irrigation officials to monitor flood levels in the projects, ponds, and other water bodies constantly, CM Revanth Reddy said that the authorities should also focus on hydroelectric power generation and inform people about the release of water in the low-lying areas regularly. Precautions should also be taken in advance, as there is a risk of breach of the banks of ponds and other water bodies.

Reviewing the power supply during heavy rains, the Chief Minister ordered that the officials and staff of the Electricity department should be available round the clock. Mobile transformers, generators, electric poles and other equipment should be kept ready to attend to the repairs of the damaged electric equipment. The Medical and Health officials were instructed to make adequate medicine available in PHCs, CHCs, and to ensure ambulances are available to transport pregnant women to hospitals in emergency situations.

The Chief Minister enquired of the district Collectors about the relief measures taken during heavy rains and instructed them to evacuate people from low-lying areas to relief camps in all towns. The Animal Husbandry department officials were ordered to register FIRs when cattle, goats and sheep die due to lightning strikes and ensure that the victims get compensation.

Chief Minister Reddy ordered the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda Police Commissioners to work in coordination. Specific instructions were also given to GHMC, HYDRAA, Police, Fire services, Disaster management and MA and UD departments to coordinate with each other in the rescue operations and traffic management during heavy rains in the city.

The CM suggested that senior officials of the IT and Education Department should review the situation and decide on work-from-home arrangements and announce holidays to educational institutions. The CM also ordered HYDRAA to set up a toll-free number and resolve the problems of the people soon after receiving calls.

Chief Minister Reddy emphasised that traffic management should be given priority during heavy rains, and the Law and order police should also join the traffic regulation in the flood-affected areas in the city. The officials concerned were also instructed to regularly alert people to heavy rain forecasts through TV and social media platforms. Precautions should also be taken to avoid a panic among people because of the threat of heavy rain, the CM said.

Ministers Sridhar Babu, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, T Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, DGP Jitender and other officials were present. (ANI)