Central team in Hyderabad to assess damages by floods

Hyderabad, July 21:  A Central team arrived in Telangana on Thursday to assess the damages caused by recent heavy rains and floods in some parts of the state.

The six-member Central team is headed by Sourav Rai, Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry. Telangana's Secretary for Disaster Management Rahul Bojja met the team soon after its arrival in Hyderabad and briefed it on the floods in Godavari river. He submitted a note about the initial estimates of losses caused by the natural calamity.

The team later left for on-field inspections to the districts. It will visit Nizamabad, Nirmal and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts on Thursday and Friday.

After returning to Hyderabad, the team will meet Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other top officials in Hyderabad. The state officials will brief the team on the ground situation and the estimates of the losses suffered by various departments.

Based on the field inspection and the inputs received from the state government, the team will submit a report to the Centre, recommending assistance for flood relief.

The state government on Wednesday requested the Centre to provide Rs.1,000 crore as immediate assistance towards flood relief to the state.

The state government sent a report to the Centre about the losses suffered by the state due to recent heavy rains and floods. As per the initial estimates, various departments suffered losses to the tune of about Rs.1,400 crore.

Several roads and causeways were washed away in the floods. The Roads and Buildings department suffered a loss of Rs.498 crore.

The Panchayat Raj department's losses were estimated at Rs.449 crore. The municipal administration department suffered a loss of Rs.379 crore. The losses to the irrigation department were estimated at Rs33 crore and to the electricity department at Rs.7 crore.