16 dead in rain-related incidents in Telangana during past week

At least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week, officials said. Relief work gained momentum on Saturday as rainfall came to a halt in many parts of the state.

When contacted, a senior official said that 16 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents as per the reports received till Saturday afternoon.

Waterlogging continued in parts of Warangal despite rainfall subsiding since Friday. The state government has set up relief camps and ramped up rescue and rehabilitation work in rain-affected areas.

The Bhadrakali tank in Warangal suffered a breach and efforts were on to plug it.

Those who returned to their homes in the town on Saturday after taking shelter in safer places during the last few days due to flooding were anguished over the damage to household items and the presence of sludge inside the houses.

Meanwhile, the water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam stood at 55.40 ft at 4 PM on Saturday and the third and final warning was in force (third warning level is 53 ft). People living in vulnerable areas have already been evacuated and shifted to relief camps in the district.

Agricultural fields in several districts suffered damage due to heavy rains and flooding. State Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao, who conducted a teleconference on relief works following the heavy rains, discussed measures to prevent water-borne diseases, provision of safe drinking water, sanitation management, and the rehabilitation of highways and other arterial roads to ensure they are motorable again.

The minister asked the officials to take the relief measures as a challenge in the prevailing situation and exhorted them to move ahead with greater commitment, an official release said. Rao said the state government is prepared to provide any form of assistance in this regard.