Telangana govt begins distribution of cash aid to Hyderabad flood victims; Rains continue

The Telangana government began distribution of financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each to the families hit by one of the worst delugues here last week as the relief works continued while the city received rains for the fourth straight day on Tuesday.

State Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao and other ministers and MLAs handed over the Rs 10,000 assistance to the flood victims at different localities in the city, a day after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced the measure.

The heavy rains have left 70 people dead in the state in the last one week and caused damage to properties with the state government pegging losses at over Rs 5,000 crore as per preliminary estimates.

State Education Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy on Tuesday tweeted that "all the examinations have been postponed till Dasara".

As directed by the CM, the Municipal Administration department, starting on Tuesday, would provide the financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to three-four lakh families at their doorstep in GHMC and adjoining affected areas, Rama Rao tweeted.

The minister, who held a meeting with MLAs and MLCs from the city, suggested that they supervise the relief and restoration works and be with the people for the next 10 days, an official release said.

The city, battered by incessant rains since last week leading to widespread flooding in low-lying areas, witnessed another wet day with several parts receiving intermittent showers. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) earlier in the day advised citizens to stay indoors unless unavoidable.

The GHMCs Director of Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management Vishwajit Kampati tweeted that Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams were clearing water stagnations and tree falls in view of the heavy rains in the city. All teams were alert and attending to emergency citizen assistance calls, he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister spoke to his counterparts in Tamil Nadu (K Palaniswami), West Bengal (Mamata Banejee) and Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) and thanked them for announcing financial help to the rain-hit Telangana, an official release said.

Kejriwal announced a donation of Rs 15 crore for the relief works while Mamata Banerjee said her government would like to contribute a token sum of Rs two crore to the Telangana CM Relief Fund, it said.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, who is a Lok Sabha member from Secunderabad here, in a statement announced three months salary for relief works.

Superstar Chiranjeevi and a number of other Telugu film personalitiesalso announced contributions to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund towards flood relief work.

The India Meteorological Department centre here in its weather warning for Telangana said thunderstorms accompanied with lightning were very likely to occur at isolated places in the state on Wednesday.

It said heavy rains were very likely at isolated places in the districts, including Vikarabad, Nalgonda and Hyderabad, on Wednesday.

Among film personalities who announced donations for rain-relief works, Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu announced Rs one crore each to the CM Relief Fund.

Meanwhile, TDP chief and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday requested all Hyderabadis to stay home and safe until the deluge is over. Naidu, in a tweet, urged the TDP leaders and activists to extend support wherever it is necessary.

The CM on Monday announced Rs 10,000 as immediate relief to each flood-affected household in the city, besides an assistance of Rs one lakh each to those whose houses were totally damaged and Rs 50,000 to partially damaged.

(Photo Credit: Twitter/TelanganaCMO)