Telangana Floods: Over 40 Lives Lost, Cabinet Approves Relief Measures

The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has decided to release Rs 500 crore for immediate relief operations and repair of the damaged roads.

The floods damaged crops, roads, and bridges, with canals and lakes also breached. ( Image Source :ABP Desam )

The state government of Telangana announced on Monday that heavy rains and floods have claimed over 40 lives. In response to the damages caused by the floods, the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has decided to release Rs 500 crore for immediate relief operations and repair of the damaged roads. The Cabinet also decided to offer ex-gratia payments to the families of the deceased and paid homage to the flood victims.

The meeting discussed the damages caused due to heavy rains. Several districts, including Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Hanmakonda, Nirmal, Adilabad, Khammam, and Kothagudem, were affected by heavy rains and floods. The floods damaged crops, roads, and bridges, with canals and lakes also breached.

The state government will undertake repair work on roads and infrastructure on a priority basis. Collectors have been requested to assess and report the extent of crop damages, and affected farmers will be provided with necessary assistance.

Additionally, the Cabinet discussed the floods in Munneru Vagu in Khammam and decided to construct an RCC flood wall. The government is also providing immediate support to farmers by supplying seeds and fertilizers.

The state government has decided to implement an orphan state policy, where orphan children will be cared for and supported as children of the state. State minister K. T. Rama Rao told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that "They will be called children of the state. The government will take care of them as parents."

The Cabinet also decided to undertake the expansion of the Hyderabad Metro at an estimated cost of Rs 60,000 crore over the next 3-4 years. As part of this expansion, a double-decker Metro line will be laid from Jubilee Bus Station to Thumkunta and Patny to Kandlakoya at the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The two levels of this Metro line will be designated for motor vehicles and Metro trains separately.

Furthermore, plans have been made to extend the Hyderabad Metro from Isnapur to Miyapur, Miyapur to LakdiKaPul, LB Nagar to Pedamberpet, Uppal to Bibinagar, Kottur to Shadnagar, and Uppal to ECIL. Additionally, a Metro Rail project around the 159-km Outer Ring Road is also under consideration. Detailed project reports for these expansions have been requested from Hyderabad Metro Rail and the Municipal Administration Department.