HYDERABAD: Authorities were having a tough time in maintaining a watch on the flood situation in Telangana. Water from the under-construction Mid Manair Dam in Boinapally mandal of Karimnagar, began overflowing from the bund and the earthen embankment was breached, posing trouble for nearby villages. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to rain-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana rose to 13- six in Guntur district and three in Visakhapatnam district. In Medak district of Telangana four persons were killed and six others injured. Heavy rains continued in Palnadu area of Guntur district of Andhra, apart from East Godavari, Prakasam, Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts.
Telangana Special Chief Secretary Pradeep Chandra said, "Over 1,000 villagers staying in six villages near the Mid Manair dam, which was overflowing, were evacuated. It was a precautionary evacuation... the situation was now improved and they will be sent back later." Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asked his ministerial colleagues to stay in their districts, monitor the situation, and supervise relief and rehabilitation works.
The CM cancelled his Cabinet meeting and instead asked the ministers to work in coordination with district-level officials and ensure evacuation of people from low-lying areas. He further directed the Warangal district administration to be on high alert as Godavari river is currently in full spate. Rao said, "We are taking measures in view of the heavy rains in the past few days in the state, including in Hyderabad, which is unprecedented after the 1908 floods in the city." DIG Ravi Varma said, "We are keeping a watch on water level in Warangal and Khammam districts. Our personnel have been deployed in the villages along the river bank, if necessary, the process of evacuation will begin."
Four columns of Army and a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team have been deployed in rain-affected areas of Hyderabad and neighbouring Ranga Reddy district.
In Karnataka, three teams of NDRF have been deployed in Bidar, Kalaburagi and Bengaluru districts. The NDRF team deployed at Kalaburagi carried out flood rescue operation and evacuated 21 marooned persons to safer places.
