Telangana heavy rains: Death toll rises to 50, losses estimated at Rs 5000 crore

Hyderabad: A day after heavy rains and flash floods ravaged several parts of Telangana, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government on Thursday confirmed the death of 50 people in the entire state, including 11 from Hyderabad.

At an emergency review meeting held at Chief Minister's official residence in the evening, the top officials also reported that crops in 7.35 lakh acres were submerged, adding that even if there is 50 per cent of damage to crops, the loss would be to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. The total losses, however, are estimated to be around Rs 5,000 crore.

The CM declared that as per the primary estimates, the state suffered Rs 5000 crore loss due to heavy rains and flash floods. He urged the Centre to release immediately Rs 1,350 crore for relief measures in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Chief Minister instructed the officials concerned to take up relief measures on a war footing. He said that in the submerged areas, rice, pulses and other essential commodities, food and three quilts per house should be distributed from the government side. The CM also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 5 Crore to the GHMC for the relief works under the Hyderabad city limits. He also announced Rs 5 Lakh compensation each to the members of the deceased families. 

The comprehensive report was given by different departments:

Under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, it for the first time after 1916, 31 cms of rain was recorded in one day. As a result, several places in GHMC were submerged in water, especially those colonies which were constructed within the Tanks FTL limits.  

In Hyderabad, 20,540 houses in 144 colonies at 72 places were flooded with rainwater and 35,000 families were affected. The floodwater effect was more in LB Nagar, Charminar, Secunderabad and Khairatabad Zones. In Hyderabad, 14 houses were totally damaged and 65 houses partially. BT roads in 445 places and National Highways at 6 places were damaged.

Roads restoration was going on at all these places. In Hyderabad 72 rehabilitation centres were opened where the temporary shelter was given to people along with food. Since water inundated the homes, the daily meal is served to 1.10 lakh people.

In other parts of the state, heavy rains and floods have adversely affected 30 towns, 238 colonies were flooded and roads were damaged at 150 places.

Floodwater entered nine electrical substations under Transco limits, 15 Sub Stations under SPDCL and 2 under NPDCL limits. Power has been restored at most of the places where water was drained out. At several places, especially on the banks of Musi River, transformers and electric poles were washed away. The primary estimates suggest that the electricity department has suffered a loss of Rs five crore.

All over the state, 101 water tanks were breached, 26 Tank bunds were damaged. It is estimated the loss for the water resource department was Rs 50 crore. Panchayat roads were damaged at 475 places, roads breached at 269 places and the loss is estimated at Rs 295 crore. Roads coming under Roads & Buildings Department (R&B) were damaged at 113 places. The loss was Rs 184 Crore under R&B limits and Rs 11 Crore under National Highway Authority limits.