Revanth Reddy to conduct aerial survey as Cyclone Montha batters Telangana

As Cyclone Montha ravaged Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, state governments hastened relief measures on a war footing. As part of the relief operation, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will conduct an aerial survey of flood-hit Warangal district and Husnabad Assembly constituency on Friday (October 31).

He also instructed officials to set up a toll-free helpline number at the Warangal Collectorate, directed disaster response teams to be ready, and ordered the deployment of boats to rescue people. In a video conference with the collectors and senior officials of the cyclone-affected districts on October 30, Reddy directed them to take relief measures in the areas affected by the torrential rains caused by Cyclone Montha.

Also read: Cyclone Montha causes Rs 5,265 crore loss in Andhra Pradesh: CM Naidu

According to an official release, the chief minister also instructed them to take appropriate steps to ensure no loss of life and livestock in the flood-affected areas and urged them to prioritise the relocation of people from flood-prone areas to camps and to provide rehabilitation measures.

Paddy, cotton crop damaged

In the meeting, CM was briefed about the damage to paddy and cotton fields. Preliminary reports indicated that flood damage was reported in the erstwhile Warangal and Nalgonda districts and also in Husnabad Assembly constituency.

In the wake of the reports suggesting that paddy fields had been soaked in many places and the farmers were worried about their stocks being washed away in some procurement centres, Reddy instructed the collectors to make arrangements to immediately shift grain stocks to the nearest godowns and mills.

Also read: Cyclone Montha to bring heavy rain to some districts in West Bengal till Sat: IMD

Expressing serious concern over the plight of farmers during the harvest season, Reddy said that the government had set the target of 80 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procurement and instructed the Civil Supplies Department to take necessary measures accordingly.

Restoration of infrastructure

Reddy also instructed the district-in-charge ministers to periodically review the relief measures carried out in the cyclone-affected districts, the restoration of roads and highways, and the status of paddy procurement. He urged all ministers to be available in their districts and conduct periodic reviews of the measures taken to relieve the people.

He also instructed officials to install danger warning boards in areas where floodwater was flowing on the roads and highways. He warned people not to venture out during the heavy rains and advised officials to divert traffic.

Also read: Cyclone Montha leaves 3 dead, damages crops over 1.50 lakh acres in Andhra

According to the release, he also directed the Health Department to ensure the availability of emergency medical services.

Warangal on high alert

In view of the impact of the cyclone in Warangal, Reddy directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to utilise the services of the police and, if necessary, deploy Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) teams with the necessary equipment from Hyderabad.

Reddy stressed that relief operations should be intensified in the district and a toll-free help centre should be set up in the Collectorate to monitor the situation round-the-clock.

An adequate number of boats should also be sent for immediate relief operations in Warangal, and the SDRF personnel available in various districts should be deployed there, he said.

(With agency inputs)